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dbyGoogk

d'byGoogk

dbyGoogi

SOUTH

INDIAN SKETCHES;

COyTAIKINO

A SHORT ACCOUNT

OF SOME OF THE

MISSIONARY STATIONS,

CONNECTED WITH THE

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN SOUTHERN INDIA.

IN LETTSnS TO A/ YOUNG FRIEND.

BY S. TUCKER.

PART I.

MADRAS AND MAYAYERAM.

NATIVE LETTER.

THE PROFITS WILL BE APPROPRIATED TO NATIVE EDUCATION.

IDfkirtr Q^lritton.

LONDON:
JAMES NISBET AND CO., 21, BEBNERS STREET.

MDCCCXLVIH.

dbyGoogk

.:V

1^43

MACIN1U8H, PKINIER,
GREAT NEW-SIREET, LUNUON.

dbyGOOgk

lf-:iin:^"i-'^'^f^

PREFACE.

The proposed object of this little publication
is, to combine a few details of every-day Ufe in
India with a slight sketch of the religious state
of the Hindoos and the labours of Missionaries,
so as to bring those distant scenes more clearly
to the mind of the youthful reader; and
awaken a more intelligent and lively interest
in the spiritual welfare of our Heathen fellow-
subjects. The writer sends it forth, with the
earnest hope and prayer, that He, whose
strength is made perfect in our weakness, may
be pleased to bless this humble effort for the
extension of His kingdom.

Sauthboroughf
April 2nd, 1842.

dbyGoogk

PREFACE

TO THE THIRD EDITION.

Since this volume was originally written, seve-
ral changes have taken place at the different
Missionary stations ; but as these do not affect
the general information contained in it, it has
been thought better only to insert the more
important of them in notes.

Hampsteadf

April 3(/, 1848.

dbyGoogk

CONTENTS.

PACE

LETTER I.

INTRODUCTION — ARBIYAL AT MADRAS 1

LETTER n.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS — ^ILLUSTBATIONS OF SCRIPTURB. ... 9

LETTER m.

RELIOIOK OP THE HINDOOS— SECTS, ETC 18

LETTER IV.

NATURAL CHARACTER OP THE HINDOOS 30

LETTER V.

CASTE 36

LETTER VI.

BLACK TOWN—IDOL PROCESSIONS 47

LETTER Vir.

MADRAS MISSION 57

Digitized by VjOOQIC

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VI CONTENTS.

PAGE

LETTER Vlir.

VILLAGES NEAR MADRAS 66

LETTER IX.

CENTRAL SCHOOL FOR NATIVE GIRLS 73

LETTER X.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ETC 85 '

LETTER XI.

JOURNEY TO MATAVERAM 94

LETTER XIL

JOURNEY TO MAYAVERAM CONCLUDED 106

LETTER XIIL

MATAVERAM MISSION— REV. T. BARENBRUCK 115

LETTER XIV.

STEPHEN, CATEOHIST 127

LETTER XV.

CHEDUMBRUM, SCHOOLMASTER— CONCLUSION 138

dbyGoogk

SOUTH INDIAN
MISSIONARY SKETCHES.

LETTER I.

My dear Lucy,

You tell me that though you feel so deep an interest
in Missions, aUd especially in those of Southern Lidia,
yet your knowledge of the customs and habits of
the natives, and indeed of the whole state of things
there, is so vague, that you cannot enter as fully as
you would wish into the accounts which are from
time to time published; and I shall therefore rejoice,
if my present attempt to bring forward a few similar
'details and every-day occurrences, shall in any degree
remove your difficulty, and enable you to form a

Digitized by Vji005lC

2 INTRODUCTION.

more connected and realizing idea of those distant
scenes.

You must, however, bear in mind, thati only
intend to give you "sketches," and you must not
therefore expect any regular account of the progress
of the Gospel in those lands, nor even of its more
important features, as you can find these in the
regular publications.

I shall confine myself to those facts in Missionary
work which have come under the personal know-
ledge of the friends from whom I have received my
information ; and even of these, I shall, as far as is
practicable, refrain from repeating what has been
already published. Nor shall I touch upon any
subjects of general information, unless they also, in
some way or other, afiect the duties or the feelings
of a Missionary.

I will begin by endeavouring to give you some
notion, although a very faint one, of the impres-
sion made upon a European on the first arriving
at these unknown shores. And I will suppose that,,
after a long and wearying voyage of nearly four
months, during which you have seen nothing but
sea and sky, except, perhaps, catching sight of the
picturesque rock of Martin de Vas, or of the low
wooded shore and distant mountains of Ceylon, you
are drawing near the place of your destination, and
are running up the coast of Coromandel.

dbyGoogk

ARRIVAL AT MADRAS. 3

St. Thomas Mount, eight miles below Madras,
is just in sight, with our national flag floating from
the flag-staff ; and it will awaken an indescribable
emotion to find it is giving notice of jour ap-
proach, and, as it were, recognising and greeting
yourself and your companions with an English
welcome from the shores of India.

How many thoughts wiH rush into your mind,
and make you for the moment forget the present
scene, till you are startled by seeing the ship
surrounded by strange looking little rafts, with
stranger looking men upon them, whose sudden
a\)pearance makes you almost fancy that they must
have sprung from the bottom of the sea.

The men are slight in form, their complexion
nearly black, and their only clothing is a conical
cap of palmyra leaf, and a cloth twisted round the
waist ; and while you are wondering what they are,
and whence they came, they have scrambled up the
sides, and are on deck.

These rafts, or " Catamarans," are in rough
weather the only means of communication between
the shore and the vessels in the roads ; they are
made of three or four logs of wood rudely lashed
together,* almost in the form of the sole of a shoe,
as you will see by the accompanying wood-cut.

* Catamaran literally means *' tied trees."
B 2

Digitized by VjjOOQIC

ARRIVAL AT MADRAS.

With the letters safely lodged between the outer
and inner lining of their palmyra caps, which are
so closely woven as to be water-proof, and with
two slight paddles instead of oars, the men fear-
lessly mount their little bark, and set out on what
would to us be indeed a perilous expedition.
Frequently the Catamaran is just below the surface
of the water; and you doubtless will remember
how Bishop Heber was struck with the singular
effect of the men appearing as if they were walking
or standing on the sea ; but the effect is perhaps
still more singular, when, as is sometimes the case,
they are seen rowing on their knees.

Sometimes an unexpected wave oversets them,
the man disappears, and you fear he must be lost ;

dbyGoogk

arriyAl at madras. 5

but in a few moments he rises, regains the little
raft, which has in the mean time righted itself, and
is again standing on it as unconcerned as if nothing
had happened. In fact, the waves are not such
dangerous enemies as the sharks ; and many a sad
tale might be told of the loss of life and limb from
these voracious monsters.

Meanwhile you are steadily making way, and soon
find the approach of your ship again announced by
the Union Jack from Fort St. George.

Presently you see it lowered, and three bright '
:flags of red and blue are hoisted to ask her name—
the answer is given from the stern; and perhaps
the swelling sails may at first intercept the sight,
and the inquiry is still continued. At last the
answer is distinguished, the inquiring signals at the
flf^-staff are quickly changed for those which give
your number; and you vnll one day know with
what anxious interest these floating signals are
watched and waited for by friends on shore.

These, after remaining some little time, ftre
taken down, and the Union Jack of England again
waves to claim your homage to England's Queen, —
by the providence of God the Sovereign Lady of
this vast country.

During this time the ship has come to anchor
among vessels from every quarter of the globe ; and
you see before you a line of level coast stretching

Digitized by VjOOQIC

b ARRIVAL AT MADRAS.

as far as your eye can reach to north and south.
Nearly opposite to you are Fort St, George, and
the long low range of buildings that form the sea
front of Black Town. Behind the fort and town,
particularly towards the north, you will observe the
tops of trees widely differing in form and foliage
from any you before have seen ; and your eye will
especially be attracted by the graceful cocoa-nut
calmly waving its light and feathery foliage to every
breath of wind. The sky is clear and bright, and
the peculiar perfume with which the air is loaded,
will prove to you that " Sabean odours from the
spicy shore," are not " an idle vaunt of song."

Soon a "Massouli boat," with its apparently
unwieldy form, high above the water, will be seen
approaching : these boats are made of planks sewed
together with fibres of the cocoa-nut, pointed at
both ends, and rowed by long poles with heart-
shaped paddles, an extra one supplying the place
of a rudder.

Unwieldy as they appear, they are in reality the
only vessels that will withstand the force of the surf
peculiar to this coast, for a boat of European make
would inunediately be dashed to pieces if it at-
tempted to approach the shore.

Several of the Massouli boats soon reach the ship
loaded with provisions of various kinds ; and you
will enjoy the sight and taste of the fresh bread, the

dbyGoogk

ARRIVAL AT MADRA^t 7

eggs, the batter, of which you -have been so long
deprived ; and, above all, the beautiful plantains
and other fruits so new to an English eye.

Perhaps among the boats will be one painted red,
and more neatly fitted up than the others — ^it is an
"Accommodation boat" for passengers, with an
awning over the stern, and some brushwood at the
bottom. Perhaps, too, it may bring the friend who
is expecting you : and glad to escape from the ship,
and delighted at the prospect of again treading on
dry land, you seat yourself beside him.

At first you will be startled, at finding yourself
among men almost as strange in their appearance
and as scantily clothed as the Catamaran men, from
whom just before you had shrunk almost in terror,
and still more, when, at the moment they push off
from the ship, they begin a wild and dismal kind of
chant. This they continue <ill the boat reaches
the outer line of the breakers, when the chant
grows louder and quicker, till it becomes a sort of
yell ; and you must have strong nerves if you are
not frightened at these sounds of pretended fear,
and at the looks of terror which accompany them.

As you approach the breakers, the boatmen with
great dexterity contrive so to place the boat as that
she shall rise with the wave, and when at the top,
they dash. as quickly as they can into the trough
below, to get as far as possible from the wave before

dbyGoogk

8 ABRIVAL AT MADRAS.

it breaks ; not, however, that you must expect to
get quite beyond its reach; you will doubtless have
a sprinkling, and it will be well if you escape a
complete wetting.

The first danger passed, the men lower their
voices to their former pitch ; but as you approach
the second wave you are again frightened and
almost deafened, by their resuming the frightful
look and shout. This, however, is passed as the
former ; and the third carries you high and dry on
the beach, where a chair is ready for you ; and in
a few moments you feel once more the ground firm
beneath your feet.

And now you are in India ! that land so full of
interest and of hope. But here I will leave you
for the present.

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

riRST UIPRESSIOKS.

LETTER 11.

Yes, my dear Lucy, you are in India, but sur-
rounded by a crowd of busy-tongued natives, and
half-bewildered by all the new sights and sounds
which meet you on every side, you will scarcely
know where you are, and will gladly put yourself
under the direction of your more experienced friend
to be taken to your future abode. Here you are
sure of a cordial and warm-hearted reception ; and
you find what abundant cause of gratitude you
have, not only for having been safely carried
through the perils and dangers of the sea, but like-
wise for having been brought among friends who
have retained their English hearts and English
habits in this distant land.

Everything else, however, will be new and
strange; and it will take some little time before
you are reconciled to the absence of many things,
which have always been associated in your mind
with the idea of comfort. The rooms are spacious
and lofty, but the want of chimneys — the large
windows without glass — and the chunam floors.

dbyGoogk

10 ¥IRST IMPRESSIONS.

merely covered with mats, give them at first a
cheeriest and unfurnished appearance.

These things are, however, well suited to the
climate ; and so are the wide verandahs round the
house, into which the rooms all open, and the outside
blinds, called tats^ made of the sweet-scented cuscus
grass, which during the hot winds are placed against
the verandah or the window, and having water con-
stantly thrown upon them from without, cool and
perfume the wind as it passes through.

There are, too, some things that you will at once
enjoy — and the quiet movements of the native ser^
vants, with the "noiseless tread" of their uncovered
feet, as they glide from room to room, will give you
a feeling of repose, the more grateful from its con-
trast to the noise inseparable from a ship at sea.

The dress of the men-servants consists of an under
garment of muslin, which hangs in folds below the
knee, and over this, a dress of white country cloth,
tight at the throat and wrists, and sometimes con-
fined by a red sash tied round the waist, with the
ends hanging down, at the side. Fifteen or twenty
yards of white or red muslin are twisted round the
head for a turban ; but how they can contrive to
dispose of all this quantity I cannot imagine.

When you retire to your own apartment, fresh
novelties await you. The bedstead has no hangings,
except the gauze musquito curtains ; and the posts

dbyGoogk

PIBST IMPRESSIONS. 11

Stand in pans of water, to prevent the ants from
paying you a visit in the night. The "ayah," who
has been provided for you, is so different in her
appearance from the servant who waited on you at .
home, that you can scarcely believe her office is the
same. A short jacket of native chintz with sleeves
half-way down towards the elbow, is nearly con-
cealed by a "cloth" of thick white muslin, bordered
with red, eight or nine yards long, and two and
a-half in breadth, which, after being put once or
twice round the waist, is gracefully thrown over
and across the shoulders, so as to cover the whole
person except the arms and feet. So skilfully do
they manage this cloth, that though it has neither
string, nor pin, nor any fastening but its own folds,
you never see it disarranged ; and a nurse will
carry or play with a child the whole day, without
displacing any part of the dress, so becoming to
their slender and well-proportioned figures.

The countenances of the young women are very
pleasing, and their large dark eyes are fuU of feeling
and expression ; but the hard lives they lead, and
their frequent exposure to the sun, soon deprive the
lower and middling classes of every trace of beauty.
They are all very fond of ornaments, and generally
wear two in each ear, with rings on their fingers
and toes, and chains round their necks ; and some
have bracelets, and jingling bangles round their

dbyGoogk

12 ILLUSTRATIONS OP SCRIPTURE.

ankles. On grand occasions, they wear an orna-
ment in the nose, resting on the upper lip, and a
round plate at the back of the head, or adorn their
jet black hair with white or yellow flowers.

Among the very poor, these^rnaments are made
of brass and coloured glass, but they improve in
proportion to the station of the wearer, and are
very splendid in the higher classes. The wife of a
wealthy native will be almost covered* with jewels,
and her dress will be of the richest texture, often
woven or embroidered with gold and silver.

These ornaments, or "joys," as they are called)
are highly valued by all ranks ; indeed it is, as in
patriarchal times, a mode of investing money, and
any loss of them becomes a serious misfortune.
The "joys" of one of the servants at the Mssion*
house were one night stolen, and it was touching
to see the grief of the whole family. The children
were all sobbing and moaning, and the father was
greatly agitated ; but the mother was, in eastern
fashion, quite frantic, — she threw herself on the
ground, and then against the wall, just as a servant
would beat a door-mat against a post.

. You can hardly see these ornaments without
recalling " the tinkling ornaments for the feet,"
" the round tires like the moon," — " the rings and
the nose jewels," mentioned in the third chapter of
Isaiah* Indeed, there is much in the every day

dbyGoogk

ILLUSTRATIONS OP SCRIPTURE.

scenes of all eastern countries that illustrates ex-
pressions in the Scriptures. The wells near Madras
have a low circular wall built nearly round them,
broad enough for a person to sit -upon;* and in
your evening drives you may often see the women
passing to and fro with their brass chatties on
their heads, or a flock of sheep or goats waiting to
be watered.f

WOMAN WITH CHATTY.
♦ John iv. 6. f Gen. xxix. 2, 3.

dbyGoOgk

14 ILLUSTRATIONS OP SCRIPTURE.

A gentleman told me, that he was one daj
reading Gen. xxiv. with his moonshee (or native
teacher of languages), when coming to the 15th
verse, the man observed : " Bebekah must have
been a high caste woman." — " How do you know ?"
— " Because she carried the pitcher on her shoulder,
the low castes always carry burdens on their

The skins of water slung across the backs of oxen,
will -remind you of the bottle that was laid on the
shoulder of Hagar ; and if you were to watch the
gardeners watering the Mission garden, you would
understand the meaning of being " watered by the
foot."* The well in the garden has the usual low
wall nearly round it, and against this is fixed a
" picotta," i. «., a strong upright piece of wood, at
the top of which a long pole is fastened in the
middle, so as to swing up and down. One end of
this pole is much larger than the other, and to the
smaller end an iron bucket is suspended by means
of a slip of bamboo, twenty or twenty-five feet long.
One man climbs up the upright piece, and placing
himself on the middle of the horizontal pole, treads
alternately backwards and forwards ; by this means
raising and sinking the bucket, while another stands
on the ground ready to empty it into a channel cut
to receive it. I ought to have told you, that the
♦ Deut. xi. 10.

dbyGoogk

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE, 15

whole garden is divided into beds and borders bj
small shallow channels, and through these the
water is conyeyed over the whole garden hj a third
man, who guides it aright hj opening or closing
a passage for it with his ^^foot." The gardens
are watered in this manner every evening ; and
the soft and pleasant song of the gardener, as he
fearlessly paces up and down in his insecure posi- '
tion, is doubly welcome, at the end of a sultry day,
when borne on the evening breeze, it tells you, you
may now throw open your doors and windows
without fear of a scorching blast.

Allusions to natural objects are also better under-
stood here, than in our northern climate. The
necessity of finding a " shadow from the heat,"
" the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,"* is
better known where the effects of a c&up de soleil
are often felt through life ; and the value of the
pr(Mnise, the "moon shall not smite thee by night," f
is more fully appreciated in a country, where it is
dangerous to sleep in the open air, in the light of
the moon, and where some say that meat exposed
to its beams, quickly becomes putrid.

The number of servants will at first surprise you,
for partly on account of caste, and partly from
other causes, there are two or three times as many'
required here as in England. Not more than one

* Isaiah xxv. 4 ; xxxii. 2. f Psalm cxxi. 6.

dbyGoogk

16 ILLUSTBATIONS OF SCBIPTUBE,

or two sleep in the house — the ayah often does,
some of the men-servants also take it in rotation ;
and he whose turn it is, rolls himself up in his long
white cloth, lays himself down in the yerandah,
and sleeps as soundly as if he were in a comfort-r
able bed. Many of them live in the " Compound," *
sometimes to the number of twenty or thirty
families, forming quite a little village ; and when
the master and mistress are anxious for their wel-
fare, they often give the children the advantage of
a school of their own.

An Indian life presents, in many ways, a curious
mixture of European and Oriental scenes, and it
will at first seem very strange to find yourself in
an English carriage, with English friends, and to see
around you the palanquins — ^the bullock bandies —
the native hackeries drawn by oxen, and adorned
with jingling bells ; and now and then to meet an
elephant^ with his unwieldy form, and slow and
heavy tread.

The smaller animals will also draw your atten-
tion. If you are in a garden house, the numerous
parroquets will be seen brightening the trees with
their gay and varied plumage ; or if in Black Town,
you should be tempted to an early morning walk, you

* The enclosed piece of ground, whether large or small,
that surrounds the house, and within which are the offices,
garden, &c.

dbyGoogk

ILLUSTRATIONS OP SORIPTXIBE. 17

will be amused, or perhaps disgusted, with the
brown baboons, who may be observed in every
direction, running along the cornices and parapets
of European buildings, or scrambling over the roofs
of the native houses ; sometimes running on three
legs, while a haby monkey is grasped in the re^iain-
ing paw. But whether in the garden houses, or in
Black Town, you will have constant visitors in the
pretty little grey squirrels, with their bushy tails,
who, without any fear or shyness, run up and down
the blinds, or the pillars of the verandah, and will
seize the first favourable opportunity to steal into
the room, and take possession of any pieces of cake
or biscuit they can find 5 while the crows will, with
as little ceremony, hop in, and help themselves to a
piece of butter, or perhaps even carry off a silver
spoon before your eyes.

But it would take me too long, were I to attempt
an enumeration of the various new and interesting
objects that will everywhere meet your eye, and I
wiU, therefore, now only add that I remain.

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

18 RELIGION OP THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

LETTER ni.

VAISHNAYA BRAMIN.

Mt DEAR Lucr,
Thb religious history of the Hindoos is a remark-
able fulfilment of that declaration of Scripture, that

dbyGoogk

R£LIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. 19

when men do " not like to retain God in their
knowledge," He gives *' them over to a reprobate
mind."

The annals of every nation, except the chosen
people of God, are for many ages after the flood so
enveloped in obscurity, that in general we can only
take it for granted that the declension was gradual ;
and that each succeeding generation departed far-
ther and farther from the truths till the religion of
Noah and Shem had been changed into the most
degrading idolatry.

Among the Hindoos, however, .the preservation n
of their sacred books, enables us to trace the steps
of this downward progress with greater accuracy
than in the case of any other nation ; for, except the
hieroglyphics of Egypt, they are the most ancient
human records that have been brought to light.

The " Vedas** must have been compiled at least
1400 years before Christ — ^that is, in the time of
the Judges ; dnd about 600 years after, or near the
time of Jehoshaphat, a code of laws was drawn
up, bearing the name of " Menu." Both of these
give much insight into the state of religion apd
polity in those distant ages ; and though the doc-
trine in the code of Menu is less pure than that of
the Vedas, yet in both, we may find proofs that ,
the knowledge of God was not then quite extinct.
There is in both of them a distinct acknowledg-
c 2

dbyGoogk

20 RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

ment of one Supreme Being, the Creator of heaven
and earth ; while the use of images is discouraged,
and the form of worship seems to have been patri-
archal — the head of each family officiating as its
priest.

But in other respects, it had not only become
degenerate, but showed that it carried in itself the
seeds of stiU deeper apostasy — many inferior deities
are mentioned, to whom a lower kind of worship
was to be paid ; and the Bramins were unduly and
almost incredibly exalted: they were considered
superior even to the king, and were forbidden, under
pain of future punishment, to hold any intercourse
with a Soodra,* or even to teach him the law, or
instruct him in the mode of expiating his sins !

The sin of Cain, in offering up "the fruits of
the ground *• as his only sacrifice, seems in great
measure also to have been adopted by them ; for
except the great, but rare, horse-sacrifice (Aswa-
m^the), at the consecration of some of their deities,
I cannot find any offering enjoined, but those of
clarified butter, and the juice of the moon-plant.
How remarkable is this proneness to error, on one
side or the other ; either offering up to the true
God some fond invention of our own, or making
the appointed sacrifices to some fabe deity.

• See Letter v., p. 36.

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RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. 21

• Gradually the religion of the Hindoos became
more and more degenerate ; it proceeded from the
worship of the elements, the stars and the planets,
to the adoration of deified heroes, till it has ended
in the present entangled mass d idolatry and
falsehood.*

The prin(n|>al Hindoo deities are Brahma, Vishnoo,
and Siva, with their wives, but the first of these is
little cared for, and there is only one temple to
his honour throughout the whole of India. Siva,
Vishnoo, and the Saktis (or female deities), are
worshipped by the bulk of the people ; and their
votaries, who are respectively called Saivas, Vaish-
navas, or S^tas, are distinguished by the difierent
marks upon their foreheads, breasts, and arms,
made with a whitish powder, composed of dried
cow-dung, raspings of sandal-wood, and saffron,
which are renewed every morning before they
taste food.

The accounts which the Hindoos themselves give
of these different sects are very contradictory ;
according to some, it is free to every individual to
join whichever he pleases, or, if he prefers it, to
keep separate from all ; but there seems reason to
think, that whatever might have been the case
originally, yet that the distinctions have now become

* Some of their philosophers are said to believe in one
Supreme Being ; but this is only the Pantheistic notion
that all things are actually God.

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2Sf BELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

hereditary. One thing however seems clear, that
the being the peculiar votary of one, does not prevent
a general worship from being paid to all the others.

The images of Siva represent him as a frightful
being, sometimes with several heads, sometimes with
only one : he has three eyes, the middle one of fire,
and the number of his hands varies from four to
thirty-two. He is generally sitting on the skin of
a tiger, adorned with human skulls, his hair matted
and dishevelled, and holding a trident in his hand.
He accepts the sacrifice of animals, and is propi-
tiated by the self-inflicted tortures of his votaries.

In some respects, the worship of Siva resembles
that of the Egyptian Osiris ; the bull also is sacred
to him, and is a distinguishing ornament of his
temples — figures of it being placed at the comers,
and sometimes along the top of the outer walls, as
well as in different parts of the interior. The
famous black bull of Tanjore is probably conse-
crated to him.

Frightful, however, as Siva is, he is exceeded by
his terrific wife. She appears in various characters,
and under various names; but whether as KMi,
Bhawani, Do^ga, or Parvati, she is (except in one
form, when she reminds one of Diana*) horrible

• Near Cape Comorin, she is worshipped as Cumfiri (or
Virgin,) and the Cape itself derives its name from her in
this character, as Calcutta does from that of Kfili (Kftli-
ghaut).

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HELiaiON OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. 28

bejond description. Streaming with blood, encircled
with snakes, and hung round with human heads
and skulls, we might well wonder how she could
ever be an object of adoration, did we not know
how easy it is for men to ^^ become vain in their
imaginations,'' and for ** their foolish heart" to be
" darkened."

The whole of the religion of these poor people is
one of bondage and fear; thej know nothing of
Him whose name is ^^ love," nor of the " glorious
liberty of the sons of Grod ;" and all their offerings
and services are to appease the wrath and avert the
judgments of these fierce and cruel beings, or at
best to fulfil some vow, or procure some temporal
blessing. We need not, then, be surprised at the
human sacrifices, once openly, and still, it ^s to
be feared, secretly offered to KlUi, near Calcutta,
nor at the dreadful scenes among the Ehonds in
Gkx)msoon*

* The '< South India Christian Repository," for January,
1837, contains an accoimt of an annual human sacrifice,
among these people, for the purpose of procuring fertility
for their land. It is celebrated with much savage pomp
and ceremony ; but the barbarous cruelties that accompany
it are too horrible to repeat here. Not less than twenty .
intended victims were at that time rescued by pur troops,
and the dreadful sacrifices ceased for a while. They were
afterwards resumed, but one of the latest mails from India
mentions, that the Government has ordered a military
force to proceed to the hills, to put a final stop to them.

dbyGoogk

24 RELIGION OP THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

Vishnoo, though equally wicked, is not so.
frightful and disgusting as Siva and Kali. He is
generally worshipped under one of his many sup-
posed incarnations; and a very popular form is
that of B^an. or Rama, a prince of Oude, who is
said, with the assistance of an army of bears and
monkeys, to have conquered Ceylon, and a great
part of southern India.

The name "R4m," twice repeated, is, in most
parts of India, the usual form o^ saluting each other,
among all classes, except the Bramins ; and many
of the names both of persons and places are derived
from it.* The people are never tired of hearing of
his military exploits ; and if you lived in Black
Town,* you would most likely see an instance of the
delight it gives them, whenever you returned home
from an evening visit at Vepery.

Near the Elephant Gate, often as late as ten or
eleven o'clock, a man is almost always to be seen,
sitting on the piolf of a native house, his little
lamp in a niche in the wall behind him ; and, with
a large weU-worn olei book in his hand, reading or
rather chanting passages from the Ramayuna, an
heroic poem, in praise of Ram; while a party of
natives are sitting on the ground, listening in
motionless attention to the oft-heard tale.

* Such as Ramnad, Ramiah, &c., &c.
t Letter vi., p. 48.

dbyGoogk

, BELIGIOK OP THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. ' 25

^ But the most popular incarnation of Vishnoo, is
tliat of Krishna, and under this name he appears in
a variety of characters, but generallj as a young man
with handsome features, and of an azure colour, and
sometimes as a playful child. His name, like that
of Ram, may be also traced in those of many towns
and districts, as well a^ persons.*

Inferior to these, but still considered as stiperfor
■^deities, are " Surya," or the sun, (in his one-
wheeled chariot drawn by seven green coursers,
and with ^* Aroun"f as his driver,) — "Hunnaman,"
the monkey god, wliose picture is often painted
on the outer wall of the houses, — and several
others.

But the most honoured among these is G^nesa,
the god of wisdom, whose ill-shapen human figure,
^ith its elephant head, is oftener to be seen than
any other.

J£ a new house is to be built, the spot must first
be consecrated with cow>dung and ashes, and a
figure of G&nesa is then erected, which remains till
the building is completed. His image often marks
the boundary of landed property, and Ivb is to be
seen at the upper end of the native schools, pre-
siding over the instruction, and ready to receive
the offerings of rice and flowers duly paid by every

* Such as Krishnagur — Kiatnapatam, &c., &c.
t Is this the Aurora of the Greeks ?

dbyGoogk

26 RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

hoy when first admitted to the school, or advanced
to a higher class.

And though the salutation, " Hail Ganesa," with
which almost every native book is headed, (like
the I'AUah," which the Mohammedans invariably
prefix to the most trifling note,) be vain and
impious ; yet it may well make us reflect how far
in all our common actions toe seek for wisdom where
alone it is to be found.

But in addition to all these gods, who are more
or less worshipped by the whole community, every
village has two or three local divinities of its own ;
and though the Hindoo statements are doubtless
much exaggerated,* yet they give us some idea of
the multitude there must really be*

Idol temples are to be seen in every direction —
they are numerous in all the towns, and even the
villages, not unfrequently, have two or three in
them. They vary greatly in size and importance ;
sometimes it is only a little shrine just large enough
to hold the tutelar deity of the place, while aome*
times you are astonished at the splendid pagoda
dedicated to Siva or to Vishnoo, with its lofty
gopioims, its spacious tanks, and its extensive
courts.

Every river too, is supposed to be the residence
of a god, and even in the deepest recesses of the
* Some state the number at 330,000,000.

dbyGoogk

J(ELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. 27

forest, 3rou mky chance to find a stone covered with
Termilion, and with a garland hong on the tree
above it, marking out some consecrated spot. *

The devotees among the Hindoos, are very nume-
rous, and differ widely in their habits. Thej
belong to regular orders, like the monastic orders in
the Romish Church, some living in convents richly
endowed, and others wandering about the country,
and living on the bounty of others. It is remark*
able, that no distinction of caste is allowed in these
societies ; and even the Bramin must break the
sacred cord that has from youth distinguished him,
and freely mix with the rest of the fraternity.

It would neither be profitable nor interesting to
you, were I to enter into any lengthened account of
these unhappy people, of whom, though a few are
doubtless sincere in their profession, yet by far the
greater number are evidently impostors, who hope
to profit by the astonishment or pity of others.
They are called, according to their orders, by
various names Grosayens, Yogees, Sanyasses, &c.,
&c., but must not be confounded with the Fakirs,
for these last, though very much resembling the
others, are Mohammedans, not heathens.

Some of these devotees, particularly the wor-
shippers of Siva, will torture themselves in a variety
of ways. Some will hold their arm in one position
* " Every green tree," &c. Isaiah Ivii. 5.

dbyGoogk

28 RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC.

till it becomes immoveably fixed, or keep their fist
closed till the nails are grown through to the back
of the hand. Others will stand with their ejes
fixed on the sun till they ate blind, while some will
undertake to expiate their own sins, or those of
others, by swinging round a high pole to which they
are fastened by iron hooks inserted in their backs.

Some hope, or profess to hope, to obtain future
happiness, by abstracting their thoughts from all
earthly things, and in some cases, would perish with
hunger, did not their friends and neighbours take
care to feed them ; while others, of a very different
turn of mind, and votaries of Vishnoo, declare that
it is their indispensable duty to live as luxuriously,
and dress as richly, as possible, and to indulge in
every kind of gaiety and pleasure — and, strange to
say, these last have as many admirers as the rest,
who ungrudgingly supply them with ample means
of supporting their excesses !

Except one class who consider it meritorious to
go about the country without any clothing, with
their hair matted, and in the most dirty and dis-
gusting state, all these devotees may be known by
a turban or scarf of a tawny orange colour, and by
their i*eadines8 to receive money from any who will
offer it to them, and the Sanyasses may be still
further distinguished by a long necklace of large
beads furrowed like a peach stone.

dbyGoogk

RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS, SECTS, ETC. 29

This long letter presents a melancholy picture of
the power of Satan over these poor people ; but
some acquaintance with their religious state seems
necessary before we can, in anj adequate degree,
. feel either our own privileges or the importance of
using every means within our reach of rescuing
them from their fearful thraldom. I shall, how-
ever, now conclude with assuring you that I
remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

30 NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE HINDOOS.

LETTER IV.

Alas! my dear Lucy, for these deluded people,
whose yerj^ religion degrades their minds, and
cherishes, instead of subduing, the natural evil of
their hearts !

There is not a crime committed among men, of
which thej have not an example and a sanction, in
one or other of their gods. Brahma, for instance,
is continually quarrelling with his brothers, and in
one of their disputes has his head cut off by Siva ;
the only drink of the horrible Kali is the blood of
men or beasts, and her chief delight is in the tor-
ment of mankind ; while even the favourite
Krishna, besides his profligacy and other vices, is
often represented as an ingenious thief.

In Tinnevelly, he is more frequently worshipped
in this character than in any other ; and an idol,
not an inch high, was lately sent by Anna, the
daughter of the Rev. John Dewasagayam, to a
friend in England, which represents him as danc-
ing in triumph, with a pat of butter in his hand,
that he had just stolen from a neighbouring dairy !

dbyGoogk

NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE HINDOOS. 31

How can a people who thus bow down to wicked-
ness be otherwise than sunk in immorality ? and
who can estimate aright the blessing of Chris-
tianity, if considered only as insensibly raising the
tone of morals, even where its essential doctrines
do not touch the heart.

Sunk, however, as the Hindoos are in spiritual
and mental darkness, there is much in their natural
dispositions that is engaging and attractive, and,
were the Spirit poured out upon them from on high,
their character would be one of peculiar loveliness.

In their case, the corruption of the heart shews
itself chiefly in deceit and falsehood ; and the cruelty
with which they are often charged, seems to be
rather an indifference to the sufferings of others,
than any actual pleasure in them. And, though their
public and private histories are stained with many
an act of violence, yet, even these appear very much
to be the result of some other principle, which pre-
ponderates over their feelings of humanity ;♦ while
the numerous choultries, tanks, &c., built by indi-
viduals in fulfilment of some religious vow, afford a
proof, that with their superstitions, there is also
mingled a sentiment of benevolence, and a desire
for the comfort and welfare of others.

Their manner is mild and gentle, their disposition

» See Letter v., p. 42.

dbyGoogk

32 NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE HINDOOS.

is affectionate, and those who are in the service of
Europeans, become, when kindly .treated, strongly
attached to their master or mistress. In times of
sickness or sorrow, they wiU watch over them with
the most tender and unwearying care, and if a child
is ill, its ayah will devote herself to it night and
day. Seating herself on the ground, and laying
her little charge, in the eastern manner, between
her knees, she will rock herself to and fro for
hours ; and will often be so taken up with her
endeavours to soothe and comfort it, as almost to
forget that she herself requires food or rest.

This character applies to the Tamul people, as
those are called who inhabit the country east of the
Ghauts, from Pulicat on the north, to Cape Comorin,
in the south ; but is more especially true of the
Teloagoo people, whose country lies to the north of
Madras, and stretching from Pulicat to Ganjam on
the coast, reaches inland as far as Hydrabad,
Bellary, &c. They are also scattered throughout
the Tamul country, several villages are inhabited
by them, and some of the household servants, and
almost all the bearers of pajanquins, are Teloogoo
men — ^their language is different from the Tamul,
and they appear to be a distinct people.

They are more firmly and strongly made than
their neighbours, both in body and mind, and while
equally affectionate, are more manly, open, and trust-

dbyGoogk

NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE HINDOOS. 33

worthy. But I think a little incident that occurred
at the Mission House will give you a better insight
into their character than anj description can do.

One of the servants there is an old Teloogoo man^
of the name of Gooroopah ; he has lived there for
many years, and is entrusted with the general charge
of the premises. The clergyman whom he formerly
served died about ten years since, and his widow
and children returned to England. Two or three
years ago, one of the sons, who was in a merchant
ship, arrived at Madras, and was invited to spend
the day and sleep at his former home. As soon
as Gooroopah heard that the child of his former
master was under the same roof with himself, he,
without ceremony, made his way up into the sitting
room where the family were at dinner, and, with
the most touching look of tenderness and feeling,
came up to the young man, stood over him, strok-
ing him, and using every expression of affection
and attachment he could think of. After a while
he went away, but again and again, during that
evening and the following morning, did he steal
into the room to look at him, and pour forth the
feelings of his heart.

The vessel was to proceed in a few days ; but the
old man could not let the object of his love leave
the shores, perhaps for ever, without attempting to
get one more sight of him.

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34 NATURAL OHAEACTEB OF THE HINDOOS.

Accordinglj, one morning very early, he went
on board intending to return immediately ; but
unfortunately the captain had fixed on that day to
make a trip along the coast, and before he had
an opportunity of getting away, the anchor was
weighed, the ship set sail, and Grooroopah was
carried along without the possibility of getting on
shore till evening. It was late at night when he
got home, and as he had gone away in the morning
before the accustomed hour of eating, and would
have broken caste had he received rice or water
from any but his own class, the poor old man had
passed the whole day without a mouthful of food
or a drop of water. " But I did not care," was his
remark, " for I saw my young master."

For two years, during which his master was
alone at the Mission House, every morning did he
find a nosegay of flowers placed for him on his
breakfast-table by Gooroopah ; and afterwards, when
he was for some weeks absent from Madras, the
day never passed without this faithful old man
coming up stairs to ask tidings of him from his
mistress.

Most painful and most striking is the proof this
poor man gives of the enmity of the natural heart
against God. Gentle and amiable as he ia^ faithful
and affectionate to his master, and full of kindness
to all around, yet when the subject of religion is

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NATURAL CHABACTEB OF THE HINDOOS. 35

brought before him, however tenderly and affec-
tionately, a darker shade passes over his expressive
features, his countenance becomes gloomy, and he
turns away with an almost haughty air.

In former days, when Mr. Rhenius or Mr.
Bidsdale spoke to him, he used to say he could not
understand such things ; — ^now his excuse is, he is
too old to change !

Melancholy, indeed, is it to receive his pleasant
salaam and smile, and the fragrant jasmine blossoms
he so often brings, and yet to know that, as yet, he
is "without God in the world.** Oh, that the Holy
Spirit may even now, at the eleventh hour, descend
upon him, and teach him to know " the only true
God, and Jesus Chbist whom He hath sent!"
And may we be led to bear these people more and
more upon our hearts before the throne of grace.
I remain,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

D 2

dbyGoogk

36 CASTE.

LETTER V.

You ask me, my dear Lucy, to explain to you the
difference of " Castes " in Lidia, and I will try to
do so ; but the whole subject is so complicated and
puzzling, that I shall not attempt to give you any
of the minuter details.

You must not suppose that it is there as in
England, where, though difference of rank naturally
produces a difference in the forms of society, it
does not at all hinder the interchange of kindness
and mutual good offices. The distinction of ^' caste"
is a religious distinction, and any one who breaks
through it becomes ceremonially polluted; it has
been handed down from generation to generation,
and the hold it has on the native mind is so power-
ful, that those among us who know not the power
of the Gospel will often speak of it as a bond which
can never be destroyed.

' The principal castes in South India are the
Bramins and the Soodras, both of which are ahnost
endlessly sub-divided. There are, however, a large
number of mixed classes and Pariars, who, though
they have in reality no caste at all, have as many

dbyGoogk

CASTE. 37

distinctions among themselves as the others, and
are even more tenacious of them — ^these are some-
times <;alled low cctste people.

Difference of caste is not affected by the posses-
sion or the want of property ; a Pariar may be very
rich, and a Bramin in the most abject poverty ;
and there have even been instances of princes whose
cooks would have degraded themselves had they
sat down to table with their sovereign ! Generally
speaking, however, the influential situations under
Government are filled by Bramins, while the mer-
chants and artizans are Soodras ; but there are
occasionally exceptions to this rule, and under cer-
tain circumstances, a Bramin may enter into trade.*

The barrier between the castes is impassable, and
you may, therefore, suppose how much this system
must interfere with any improvement in their. social
condition. No talents, industry, or success can ever
raise a man above the station in which he was born ;
a Pariar can never become a Soodra, nor a Soodra
be raised to a Bramin, and this extends even to all
the sub-divisions, so that whether agreeable or dis-
agreeable, the young men must (with a very few
exceptions) follow the occupation of their fathers —
the sons of a merchant must be merchants— those
of a carpenter must still be carpenters — and even

* The makers and sellers of sweetmeats are almost
always Bramins.

dbyGoogk

38 CASTE.

the children of the washerman must continue their
father's employment or must starve.

Oh ! how would the mind and spirit of our
English youth resist this arbitrary system, and
how thankful may they be to be exempt from so
unnatural a restraint on the freedom of thought and
action, and the exercise of those energies with
which Gk)d has blessed them !

There is also no gradual descending in native
society — ^if a man loses caste he does not descend
into the next below him, but is excluded from
every t^aste, and must forego all the intercourse of
domestic life, as weU as all the privileges of a
citizen — ^no longer can he be admitted to his father's
house, and his nearest relations must have no com-
munication with him.

The different castes never intermarry, nor would
those far removed from each other even think of
entering the other's dwelling. In Tinnevelly, if
any of the Shanars, who are the next below the
Soodras, have a complaint to bring before the
Tahsildar (or native magistrate), they either stand
on the outside of the verandah, while he receives
their evidence from the window, ^or he ac^oums to
a neighbouring shed, which they may all enter
without contamination.

The different castes will not -eat in the sight of
each other, nor touch each other's persons or

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CASTE. 39

clothes, nor will they take food, or touch a plate or
drinking vessel that has passed through the hands
of an inferior ; and yet (with what would to us
seem a strange inconsistency) they have no scruple
in preparing food for anyone, even for "defiled
Christians," so that a Bramin may be cook to a
Pariar, though the Pariar cannot be to the Bra-
min. It was on this account that some missionaries
used to employ a high caste cook in those schools
where boys were boarded ; though sometimes even
this was not sufficient, and Mr. Rhenius, soon after
he went to Palamcottah, was obliged to break up
for a time a seminary he had just formed, because
some of the boys would not eat in the same room
with the rest.

This adherence to caste will remain unshaken by
the prospect of private or public danger ; for not
long ago, when a fire broke out in Black Town,
which threatened the safety of a large part of the
town, the Bramins obstinately persisted in refus-
ing to open the only well that was near the spot,'
and which happened to belong to them.

Nor is the power of caste subdued by personal
suffering, not even by those dreadful visitations of ,
famine weU known in India, but which, thank God,
are without a parallel in Europe, when the heart is
sickened at the sight of the dying and the dead by
the side of some public road, and which the utmost

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40 CASTE.

efforts of Europeans can only avail to mitigate, but
not remove.

It was during one of these fearful scourges which
had swept away nearly half the population of
Guntoor, that a lady, travelling through that pro-
vince, was appealed to for food by a poor miserable
creature, almost perishing from hunger — ^the only
food the lady had in her palanquin was a small piece
of bread, which she handed to her, thankful to be
able t6 supply her with even this trifling relief.
The sufferings of the poor woman induced her to
take the bread, but before she would put it to her
mouth, she carefully broke off and threw away
every part that had been touched by the fingers of
her who was thus rescuing her from starvation !

The Water Pandals are a remarkable instance of
contending feelings — compassion for the wants of
others, mixed with strict adherence to caste. They
may often be seen in cross roads, or in the less fre-
quented streets of a town, and are simply bamboo
sheds which have been erected by some wealthy
native as a meritorious act, or to fulfil some vow,
or expiate some sin. Here the thirsty traveller, be
he who he may, can be refreshed with water or
with butter-milk ; but the person who serves it out
must be a Bramin, as he alone is privileged to give
to all.

If a fellow Bramin applies^ for refreshment the

dbyGoogk

CASTE.

vessel is given to him, and he drinks as usual ; but
a Soodra or a Pariar must submit to have the
water poured down his throat, or into his hands, so
placed as to make a channel to his mouth. In
some cases the refreshment is conveyed to the low
caste people by means of a split bamboo passed
through the side of the pandal ; and thus the
Bramin is more effectually protected from the
danger of defilement.

The difficulties and perplexities to which caste
gives rise are endless. In one case, some persons
went to law agaipst their neighbours (both parties

dbyGoogk

42 CASTE.

being Pariars) because thej had infringed on their
privileges, by pouring out three chanties of water
instead of tuoo at a funeral ! In another, a Bramin,
who was a native judge near Conjeveram, and to
whose turn it came to be removed to a distant
province, came with tears to the English authorities
to beg he might remain where he was, as otherwise
he should have no one to cook for him, or in case
of his death, to bury him. It seems that his
division of the caste was very small, consisting only
of about twelve families, and they were all living
near Conjeveram. As no alteration could be made,
he was advised to remedy the evil by removing
some of the other families with him, and as his
salary would be a very large one, to maintain them
there at his own expense, and to this plan he joy-
fully acceded !

But all these temporal inconveniences are as
nothing, when compared with the formidable obsta-
cles which caste presents to the influence of Chris-
tianity on the heart and life ; hindering, as it does,
the exercise of humility and love, and producing a
selfish indifference towards those of another class.

Some little time ago a poor Pariar woman was
travelling through a part of Tanjore, with which
she was unacquainted ; and, weary and very thirsty,
came to a miserable looking hut, which, from its
appearance, and from the things about it, she sup-

dbyGoogk

CASTE. 43

posed belonged to some of her own people. There
was no one at home, but not doubting that she was
right, she drank a little water from a chatty that
was standing outside, and passed on.

Little did the poor woman foresee the conse-
quence of this trifling action, for the hut belonged
to a Pulli family, who, though among the lowest of
the castes, are a little above the Pariars.

They were in a paddy-field close by, and having
seen her take the water, came up immediately, and
finding she was only a Pariar woman, were so
indignant at her having thus polluted the chatty,
that they seized her, dragged her about, and so
ill-treated her, that she died soon after from the
injuries she received.

The earlier Missionaries do not appear to have
been fully aware of the evil influence of caste, and
did not therefore set their faces firmly against it,
and it is doubtless from this cause that the great
body of the early converts in South India adhered
so closely to it. Indeed the syTStem is so wrought
into their minds, having been from their earliest
infancy combined with every action and relation of
social life, that even among the more enlightened,
there is scarcely one who is sufficiently free from
its thraldom, to take water from a Pariar. To this
day, when the Lord's Supper is administered, the
Missionary is not unfrequently obliged to watch

dbyGoogk

44 CASTE.

lest the catechist should contrive so to arrange the
communicants as to keep back the low caste people
till the others have received it.

The first decided act of breaking caste, is an
important step in the life of a native Christian! and
the Rev. T. Barenbruck, writing from Mayaveram
some years ago, gives the following account of it,
in the case of the Rev. John Dewasagayam, who
was then one of his catechists : — " John Dewasa-
gayam came to my room, and told me, that as
I had frequently wished that he would come
forward to profess openly that he was not a sup-
porter of the heathenish notion of * caste,' he had
invited a country catechist, and one of our readers,
both of low caste, to dine with him at his room :
I was glad to hear this ; and proposed to him to
ask some of the Soodra Christians at the same
time. At his desire, Mr. Schaffter and I went to
his apartment, where we found several Christians
and the elder seminarists assembled. After having
introduced the subject, John plainly and distinctly
stated, that having considered caste for some time,
and compared it with the Scriptures, he found it
was against Scripture, and should not, therefore,
countenance it any longer : and as a proof of
this, he had invited two persons of low caste,
but holding offices in the church, and should be
glad if all would stay with him, and partake, in

dbyGoogk

CASTE. 45

brotherly love, of his meal. Cornelius, who since
his baptism, has renounced caste, stayed to dine
with him, but all the others refused, and returned
home."

The feeling with regard to caste, is as powerful
in the young as among the older people. One day
at the Mission-house, allusion was made to the
subject in the presence of a very nice native Chris-
tian youth ; he looked very grave, and upon its
being said to him, " You would not drink water
with me, would you ?" the grave expression in his
countenance changed to one of deep distress ; his
eyes glistened, the tears rolled down his cheeks,
nor could he recover himself during the remainder
of the visit. Savarimuttoo (for that was his name)
was then in the grammar-school, where his educa-
tion was paid for by the kindness of friends in
England; since that time he has been taken, as^
we hope and believe, to that land where earthly
distinctions are no longer known, but Christ is
fully seen and acknowledged to be all in alLy
About two years ago, he was attacked by cholera
at seven o'clock in the morning, and was gone by
eleven at night ! He sent a message by his uncle
Dewasoodamony, a catechist, to Mr. Tucker, and
to his instructors at the grammar-school, to tell
them that "he was falling asleep in Jesus, with
faith and pardon for His sins by him."

dbyGoogk

46 CASTE.

It had been the hope of his friends, that Savari-
muttoo would hereafter have become a faithful
messenger of salvation among his heathen country-
men ; not only, however, did it please God to try
the faith and patience of His saints, by taking him
V away, but almost at the same time their hopes

were disappointed in another quarter by the death
of another very promising native youth who was
also at the grammar-school.

My dear Lucy, how is "Cease ye from man,"
written on all that we undertake.

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

byGoogk

Digitized by VjOOQIC

BLACK TOWK. 47

LETTER VI.

Mt deak Lucy, ^

I SHALL now proceed to give you a little account
of Madras itself, and will first mention the Fort,
which as I before told you, stands upon the sea-
shore : it is a large well-fortified building, and has
within its walls a church and the government
offices; but there is nothing about it particularly
interesting or picturesque.

To the north of the Fort lies Black Town, and
on the south are St. Thom6 and Triplicane, the
latter inhabited by thousands of Mohammedans ;
and the Nawaub of the Camatic has also his
palace there.

There are several native villages lying near
Madras ; and the neighbourhood for five or six
miles around is interspersed with " garden houses,"
as they are called, the residences of Europeans.

Black Town alone contains, according to some
accounts, 400,000 souls ; while others say, that
there are not less than 600,000. These are chiefly
natives, but there are also a considerable number
of East Indians and some Europeans.

The houses of the natives are built of mud, and

dbyGoogk

48 BLACK TOWN.

the want of windows towards the street gives them
a gloomy appearance. Those of the middling classes
consist of four or five rooms, opening into a little
quadrangle in the middle. The roof is tiled, and
projects considerably beyond the walls ; in the
interior, the four sloping sides so nearly meet, as to
leave a very small space uncovered, while towards
the street the projecting roof forms a kind of open
shed, called a " piol," having a bank of earth
running along the wall, intended for a seat.

The rooms are small and low, open to the roof,
and their bare and white-washed walls have no
other ornaments than a few rude triangular niches
for their little brass or earthen lamps.

The doors are about the height of a man's
shoulder, and the windows, which all look into the
covered passage made by the interior roofs, are not
more than two feet square. The entrance to the
house is by a low door into a passage nearly as low,

dbyGoogk

BLACK TOWN. 49

but wide enough to have seats of earth on both
sides, like those of the piol. It is here that the
master of the house receives his guests, "speaking
in the gate."

The better kind are two storied, — the outer walls
are sometimes ornamented with rude paintings,
particularly of HAnnam&n, the monkey god ; and,
as well as those of the middling dass, have several
triangular niches, larger than those in the rooms,
in which lighted lamps are placed during their
processions.

The lower classes live in miserable huts, the mud
wails not more than two or three feet high, and the
roof (thatched with palmyra leaves, which are tied
on with ropes) reaching nearly to the ground. The
door-way, for doors they have none, is at the end,
and so low that it is not easy to stoop low enough
to enter. When these poor people move to another
spot, they merely take the roof to pieces, and carry-
ing it with them to serve for their new abode, leave

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50 BLACK TOWN.

the walls to be washed away hj the next monsoon
rains.

You will suppose that the closeness of even the
best of these native houses must be almost insuffer-
able in that climate; nor do I know what their
reason is for thus excluding both light and air ; but
heat does not affect them in the same degree that
it does us — ^the hands of a native are always cool,
and you may often see those of the lower class
lying down and sleeping in the sun, without^ any
apparent inconvenience.

The houses of the poorer classes of JSast Indians
differ but little from the native ones ; but those of

,— abetter kind are more like European dwellings.

I The noise and closeness of the streets of Black
Town prevent it from being the residence of
Europeans ; and, indeed, till lately, the Missionary
of the Church Missionary Society was the only
Protestant clergyman residing amidst this vast
population. Even now, though besides the Secre-
tary of the Corresponding Committee, who lives at
the Mission-house, there are the two Masters at
Bishop Corrie's Grammar-school, and three Mis-
sionaries at the Scotch Free Church school, these
have such full employment in their own immediate
work, that they are able to do very little for the
hundreds of thousands around them.

It painfully affects the mind when first going to

dbyGoogk

BLACK TOWN. 51

live in Black Town to see yourself surrounded hj
idolaters — ^the very servants are mostly heathen,
though a few of them are Christians or Moham-
medans ; and, look where you will, you see €rod
dishonoured on every side. The people you meet
bear on their foreheads and arms the mark of their
god ; and either the white horizontal stripe of Siva,
or the wafer-like spot to represent his fiery eye, or
Yishnoo's red and yeUow trident, appears on almost
every face.

Not, alas ! like the cross traced on the forehead
of the Christian infant, '^ in token that hereafter he
shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ
crucified ;" these only show that the poor Hindoo
who bears them is still the slave of Satan, and has
either never heard of Jesus, or, if he has, that he
loves darkness rather than light.

The multitude of processions also bring the
melancholy condition of these people continually
before you with a painful reality. Once a year, in
the month Mohurrum, the Mohammedans (who in
India are of the Schiite sect) have a grand ceremony
to commemorate the death of Hossein, the son
of Ali. It lasts ten days, and during the whole
time no work is done, but processions are going
about the streets night and day, carrying various
figures, particularly that of a hand, in memory of
Hossein's nephew, and attended by crowds of people
s2

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52 BLACK TOWN.

with discordant music. Stages are erected at dif-
ferent pla<2es, where the touching and heroic scenes
of the Kerbela are recited and sometimes acted ;
and the whole of the Mohammedan population is
in a state of feverish excitement.

But I can give you no idea of the number or
variety of the Hindoo processions ; they are con-
stantly going on at all times of the year, and vary
according to the god in whose honour they are
performed, but generally take place in the evening
or at night.

At one time you may see a large frightful image
carried under a canopy, and the attendants fanning
it as it moves on ; at another, an idol riding on the
figure of an immense peacock will be borne along,
preceded perhaps by an elephant or a camel ; but
all are accompanied by tom-toms (a rude kind of
drum) and followed by crowds of people. A num-
ber of torches are always carried, burning with a
yellow glare, except when from saltpetre thrown
upon them, they^from time to time burst out with
a blaze of blue light, and throw a ghastly colouring
on all around, tiU a dense cloud of smoke arises,
and for a while all is in darkness.

One of the most popular processions is an annual

" one in honour of Siva ; when the idol is placed on

- a car, very like the car of Juggernaut, and the

huge machine is dragged up and down the street,

dbyGoogk

BLACK TOWK. 53

with torches and tom-toms, while the people chant
or shout in chorus. The preparations for this
occupy some weeks, the car is moved from its
usual abode, (a building in the court of a pagoda,)
painted, and decorated with flags. Canopies with
flags and lamps are erected in the street, and
festoons of flowers and leaves are hung across from
side to side. The procession itself is attended by
throngs of people ; the greatest excitement prevails
among them, and the whole is a fearful, but yet
imposing scene.

But the harsh sounds of the tom-toms are not
confined to occasions of peculiar ceremony, they may
be continually heard at different times of the day ;
and frequently the service in the Mission chapel
can scarcely be attended to from the noise they
make.

The pagodas (as the larger idol temples are called
by Europeans) are generally enclosed by high walls,
and have a tank attached to them, the sides of
which are often broad flights of steps leading down
to the water.

One of these temples stands opposite some of the
windows of the Mission-house, and as it is only
at a little distance, it often affords an opportunity
of seeing and hearing what is going on. One day,
a lady, who was there, had heard through the whole -
day a great noise of tom-toms and shouting ; but

dbyGoogk

54 BLAOK TOWN.

this occurs so frequently, that it did not parti-
cularly attract her attention till, towards evening,
the noise became worse even than usual, and she
thought she heard an explosion. This induced her
to go out into the verandah, and as the Mission-
house is two stories high, she was able to look over
the roofs of the intervening huts, and to see some
of the ceremonies. It was nearly seven o'clock,
and as, you know, the sun in that latitude always
sets about six, and the twilight is very short, it
was beginning to get dark.

On looking towards the pagoda, she saw crowds
of people, men, women, and children, their heads
one above another, standing on the steps of the
tank ; some were beating tom-toms, others waving
lighted torches, all shouting, and evidently taking
the greatest interest in the scene.

The glare of the torches threw at times so bright
a light upon the various groups, that she could
plainly distinguish them, and then everything for
a while would be enveloped in smoke, except the
upper part of the tower of the pagoda, and the
beautiful eocoa-nut tree that is near the tank. At
intervals rockets were fired off, and altogether the
noise and clamour were more than you can well
imagine.

And what was all this for ? It was their annual
ceremony of taking their senseless idol out of its

dbyGoogk

BLACK TOWN. 55

shrine and putting it on a raft, where, surrounded
by priests and dancing girls, it was to be dragged
round the tank, and then carried back to its dark
recess!

The stars were shining brightly, and the feathery
branches of the cocoa-nut tree were waving gently
to the evening breeze, and as the lady thought of
the nineteenth Psalm, it saddened her heart to
reflect, that while ^^ the spangled heavens" were
proclaiming their '^ great On^nal,'* these poor
people, with immortal souls like her own, were thus
insulting His 'high and holy name. But '^ how can
they believe in Him of whom they have not heard ?
and how shall they hear without a preacher?"*
and she longed for more Missionaries to be sent out
to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation.

Just then, she heard the sound of the bell from
the little Mission chapel at the end of the garden,
and turning round, saw it lighted up, and remem-
bered that it was Wednesday evening, when there
is always IXvine service in Tamul for the converted
natives. Her spirit was comforted and encouraged
as she watched a few quietly going in one by one,
and presently the voice of singing burst upon her
ear, — ^the service was beginning, and prayer and
praise to Jehovah arose from lips, which, had no
* Romans x. 14.

dbyGoogk

56 BLACK TOWN.

Missionary ever visited Southern India, would have
been shouting in the temple of the idol.

It is true, that as yet there are but few real con-
verts from among the heathen, compared with the
millions who still remain in their idolatry ; and it
sometimes seems so like gathering up a few grains
of sand from the sea shore, that we may even be
tempted to think that a great deal of money, and
time, and strength, and life has been expended, and
all but to little purpose. But if we remember the
value of one soul, that it is infinitely more precious
than the whole world — we shall think that all has
been well spent, and shall thank Grod for evel*y
instance in which He has blessed the work of our
Missionaries.

Besides, did we see less fruit even than we do,
the command of God is plain and certain, ^^ Preach
the Gospel to every creature,*' and the promise is
as plain and as sure, " Lo ! I am with you alway,
even to the end of the world.**

Let us, then, my dear Lucy, endeavour to realize
the promise, that so the command may be to us as
much a privilege as a duty.
I remain.

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

XADBAS MISSION. 57

LETTEE Vn.

Do you not Bometimesy my dear Lucy, when you
have taken up a Missionary paper, and glanced at
its contents, lay it down again with a feeling of
disappointment, because there does not happen to
be in it anything new or particularly interesting ?
I own I have often done so, but I must own also
that the fault has been more in myself than in the
paper, and has arisen from want of a distinct know-
ledge of the separate Missions.

For instance, we read, perhaps, that " the Eev.

— — ^and Mrs. have been obliged to return to

England," &c., &c., but unless we are personally
acquainted with them or their work, we only feel
a passing regret that any servant of God should be
laid aside, and the circumstance probably does not
recur to us a second time.

But very different will be our feelings if we have
in any degree traced the progress of that particular
Mission, and know somewhat of its difficulties and
its present state.

The number of catechists now left without a

dbyGoogk

58 MADRAS MISSION.

guide — ^the schools without efficient superintend-
ence — ^the promising girls' school broken up, and
the children sent back to their miserable homes —
the congregation now deprived of the appointed
means of grace — and the heathen inquirers stopped
in their search after truth — all these will come
before the mind with a forcible reality, and call
forth our lively sympathy and our earnest prayers.

Nowhere are the Missions subject to these
reverses so frequently as in India, where the climate
often occasions such sudden removals, and where
the fewness of the labourers, and the distance of
one station from another, prevents the deserted
Mission from obtaining any effectual assistance from
without. It is always months, and sometimes, as at
Madras and Mayaveram, it has been several i^ears,
before the loss of a Missionary can be supplied ;
and what wonder then is it, if the schools languish,
th^ Christians grow lukewarm, and the heathen
become indifferent? Bather may we adore the
grace of Grod who has not even in such cases left
Himself without witnesses, but has preserved a
spark of life amidst the many waters that have
sought to quench it.

The Mission at Madras has, among others,
suffered severely from the removal and want of
Missionaries. The death of the Rev. J. Bidsdale
in 1831, threw the charge of the East Indians and

dbyGoogk

MADRAS MISSION. 59

the English services at the Mission chapel upon the
Rev. C. Blackman, who had already the entire
charge of the native part of the Mission, both in
Madras itself and the surrounding villages. As
might be expected, this additional work was too
much for him, and though in 1833, he was joined
by the Rev. G. Pettit, his health sunk under the
pressure, and he was obliged to go to the Nil-
gherries.

Mr. Pettit applied himself strenuously to the
acquirement of the language, but by the time he
had made himself master of it, circumstances arose,
which, in 1835, removed him to Tinnevelly ; and
from that time to the present, (except the Rev. H.
Harley for a few months), Madras has been without
a Missionary. It has been under the care of the
native catechists, who though of very great service
when under the direction of an European, are not
equal to the entire management of a Mission.*

For some time after Mr. Pettit's departure, Mr.
Tucker used to attend the early Tamul service in
the Mission chapel, on Sunday mornings. Daniel,

* At present (1848) there are four missionaries at
Madras, viz., the Rev. J. H. Elouis, the Rev. J. Bilder-
beck, the Rev. J. B. Rodgers, and the Rev. Dewasagayam
Gnanamuttoo. The three last were bom in India ; and
Mr. Rodgers and Dewasagayam Gnanamuttoo were edu-
cated, first in Bishop Corrie's Grammar-school, and then
in the Madras Church Missionary Institution.

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60 MADRAS MISSION.

the catechist, reading the prayers, while he himself
pronounced the absolution, and preached in English,
while Daniel interpreted. You would have been
interested in the sight — ^the benches used by the
I^glish congregation were removed, to leave a clear
space in the middle of the chapel, to be occupied by
the natives sitting on the floor, or when kneeling,
prostrating themselves so low that their foreheads
touched the ground ; the women keeping their
cloths drawn over their heads during the whole
service. You would have been surprised too to
hear the preacher stop occasionally in his sermon
to ask questions, and receive answers from the
congregation ; but strange as this would seem to us,
it is an excellent plan for keeping up their attention,
as well as of ascertaining whether they understand
what they hear.

This arrangement, however, could not continue
very long, for Mr. Tucker had already two full
English services on the Sunday ; and he was ac-
cordingly obliged to withdraw his attendance from
the Tamul worship, except when baptism or the
Lord's supper was to be administered. It was again
left to the catechists, who stiU conduct it ; and the
smailness of the congregation, and the occasional
irregular behaviour of some among them, show
how greatly the Mission needs the constant super-
intendence of a regular Missionary.*

* See note on preceding page.

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MADRAS MISSION. 61

Yet, notwithstanding all this, there is much to
encourage and quicken us; and a glow of thankful-
ness and hope is often kindled at the Mission-house,
as the sound of native voices, singing some Tamul
hymn, gently and clearly rises through the garden
at the time of their early morning or their evening
worship.

Some of the catechists take great pains in teach-
ing the people the Word of God ; and a lady whose
heathen ayah regularly attended the service, has
told me how often she has been surprised and
delighted with the account she would give of what
she had heard. With the most earnest look and
manner, and eagerly endeavouring to convey in her
imperfect English what she had heard in Tamul,
she would repeat a history or a parable with as
much animation as if she had herself been present
at the scene described^ nor did she often fail in
making a right application of it.

The same lady was much interested at witnessing
the baptism of a native young woman. Mr. Tucker
performed the service — ^Daniel interpreting. She
was a very interesting looking girl ; and it was
altogether a singular and impressive sight. The
young woman stood at the font, with her reddish
cloth over her head, which she just threw back
when she was sprinkled, and* seemed so serious and
earnest, that she might have put to shame some who

dbyGoogk

62 MADRAS MISSION.

liave long professed to be ChristianB. I trust she
received the inward and spiritual grace, as well as
the outward sign, and that she will prove herself
one of Christ's faithful " soldiers and servants unto
her life's end." The Epistle for the day was very
appropriate, for it happened to be All Saints' Day ;
and her maJking the responses in Tamul, well illus-
trated the passage, '^ Lo ! a great multitude, which
no man could number, of all noHonSf and kindreds,
and people, and tongues/' &c.

We are apt, I think, very often to expect too
much from native converts, and to be discouraged
when we hear of their occasional backslidings, or of
their standard of moral principle being still low.
But if we look at St. Paul's Epistles to the Corin-
thians and Gralatians, or at the second and third
chapters of the book of Revelations, we shall see
what grievous errors existed in the early churches,
even in the lifetime of the apostles; and yet our
Lord did not cast them off, nor did His servants
give them up in despair. Our Lord's addresses are
full of tenderness, while he rebukes ; and the love
and zeal of His apostles seemed quickened by their
anxiety to bring back the people into the ways of
truth and holiness.

Or let us look at the Church in our own country,
where we have the blessing of a regular ministry,
the Word of God, and uninterrupted means of grace.

dbyGoogk

MADBAS MISSION. 63

from our infancy ; and see how few there are who
in any measure lire up to their profession.

And shall we then wonder that these poor people,
who in their earliest childhood were imbued with
all the abominations of heathenism, — ^were brought
up on no higher principle than to do and think
*' what master pleases^* and are even now living in
an atmosphere so polluted, — should sometimes be
entangled in the snares around them, and seldom
bring, forth as much fruit as we should wish to see?

And yet we must not think too lightly of what
the Holy Spirit has been pleased to work among
them — He has graciously given some increase even
here, where there is neither a Paul to plant, nor an
Apollos to water. One instance I will give is that
of an assistant catechist, whose death was mentioned
in some of the late letters from Madras.

This young man, whose name was Enoch, was
the son of native Christians, and his widowed
mother is a schoolmistress under the Ladies' Com-
mittee for Female Education.* He was educated
at the Church Missionary seminary at Perambore,
and when Mr. Pettit removed to Palamcottah,
Enoch accompanied him, and was employed in the
Tinnevelly Mission. From this situation he was
dismissed, in consequence of some misconduct, and
returned to Madras, where, though he showed a
* She is since dead.

dbyGoogk

64 MAPRAB MISSION.

spirit of genuine penitence and humility, it was
thought right to prove the sincerity of his repent-
ance by placing him for a time in some inferior
situation.

He was accordingly employed on a very low
salary, as schoolmaster to the children of the native
servants at the Mission-house ; and the answers the
boys gave when questioned at the family worship,
plainly showed how much pains he took with them.
Having proved himself worthy of a higher trust, he
was, after a time, made an assistant catechist under
Daniel and Cornelius, and was engaged in visiting
schools, distributing tracts, or reading the Scriptures
to the people. He entered with his whole heart
upon the duties of his new situation, always eagerly
embracing any fresh opening for usefulness, and
going through his work with great regularity. His
gentle and obliging manner won the regard of all
who had intercourse with him, and he was never
better pleased than when he had found some oppor-
tunity of showing attention and gratitude to those
who had been kind to him, several times bringing
some little present to be sent to friends in England
who were, he knew, interested in missionary work.

But it pleased God to take him away in the
midst of his usefulness; a few months ago he rapidly
sank under a severe attack of a complaint of the
lungs, to which he had long been subject ; and

dbyGoogk

MADRAS MISSION. 65

though the letters which mention his death give no
details of his last hours, yet as thej speak of his
course of consistent piety and activity enduring to
the end, we may confidently believe that he did not
receive the grace of God in vain.

Other instances have been from time to time
mentioned in the '^ Madras Church Missionary
Records " of those who have gone to their rest in
the faith and love of the Gospel, and there are not
wanting living witnesses to its power on the heart ;
but as their warfare is not accomplished, I shall
refrain from any particular mention of them.

We may, however, hope for more fruit from the
Mission at Madras, as soon as a regular Missionary
is settled there, which, I trust, will be the case
ere long.

I remain.

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

66 VILLAGES NEAR MADRAS.

LETTER VIII.

My dear Lucy,
It has been observed by one, who has been several
years in the country, and has had every opportunity
of forming a correct judgment, that Southern India
is " like a thirsty land longing for water at every
pore, but with no man to water it."

Most fully is this corroborated by the frequent
applications from various quarters to the Madras
Corresponding Committee, for the establishment of
a fresh Mission, or at least a school, in some new
spot ; and by their inability, from want of labourers,
to comply with them. This has particularly been
the case with the neighbourhood of Madras, where
the Society established a Mission some years ago,
but has been unable to keep it up effectively.

The chief station of this Mission was at Yala-
veram, one of several villages within a short dis-
tance of each other, and from twenty to thirty
miles from Madras, the inhabitants of which, about
2,000 in number, are partly heathen, and partly
Christian.

dbyGoogk

TILLAGES NEAB MADBA.S. 67

A few schools were opened — ^a native catechist
was settled there, and the Mission was visited once
a month by a Missionary from Madras, who admi-
nistered the Lord's supper, baptized any who were
prepared, and examined the schools and general
state of the Mission. But the want of regular
Missionaries at Madras has lately prevented the
continuance even of this imperfect system ; and,
except a few occasional visits from Europeans, the
whole has for the last four or five years been under -
the sole care of the catechist.

While Mr. Blackman was at Madras, he had
the superintendence of it, and very frequent were
the applications for an increase in the number of
schools, so that there might be one for each village ;
and sometimes a similar request would come from
some more distant place, which had before been
unknown to him. Even now, though they have
been so continually disappointed, they have not lost
the desire for instruction, for it is not long since an
European catechist, who passed a few days among
them, gave, in his letters home, the siuue account
of the earnestness with which they pressed him on
the subject.

Could he have held out to them any hope of

their desires being fulfilled, it would have been

very encouraging to him, as he passed from village

to village, to see them gathering round him of an

F 2

dbyGoogk

68 TILLAGES KEAB MADKAS.

evening after their day's work, that they might
hear from him the Word of Life, eagerly requesting
baptism for their children, and urging their request
for a Missionary and schoolmasters.

On one occasion, the headman of a heathen vil-
lage, with two others of the principal people, ran
some way after his palanquin with a- petition from
all their neighbours, to beg for the establishment of
a school, and you may suppose how painful it was
to him to be obliged, time after time, still to return
the -same answer, ^^ The Conmiittee have no means
of helping you.**

And yet, inadequate as one solitary native cate-
chist, and four or five small schools, are to supply
the spiritual wants of these poor people, thej
have been the means of spreading some rays oi
light through the surrounding darkness, and several
instances of this have come to the knowledge of
friends in Madras.

One of these was a heathen, who brought one of
the usual requests to Mr. Blackman, and who in-
terested and surprised him by asking many ques-
tions, which incidentally showed that he had by
some means acquired a considerable knowledge of
the Scriptures.

Another was that of a woman, whose son was in
one of the schools, and was in the habit of repeat-
ing his lessons to her when he returned home in

dbyGoogk

YILLAGKS KEAB MADRAS. 69

the evening. B7 means of this simple teaching,
her mind was gradually opened to Divine truth, the
ten commandments especially struck her as con-
demning the idolatry in which her whole life had
been passed : and after some time, she and several
other members of her family, altogether twenty in
number, put themselves under instruction, pre-
paratory to baptism.

Some time ago a Missionary from Madras, making
the usual circuit of the villages, received an invi-
tation from one which he had never before visited.
On his arrival, the people collected around him, and
begged of Um to take some means to send them a
Missionary and schoolmaster who might teach them
"the sacred book." The Missionary asked them
what they knew about his "sacred book ;" upon
which an old man, sitting near him, answered, " I
know a little of it," and immediately began to
repeat in Tamul, the first part of St. John's Grospel.
He went through the first two or three chapters
very correctly, to the astonishment, as you may
suppose, of the Missionary ; nor was his surprise
lessened, when he found that the old man was
totally blind.

He eagerly inquired how this could have been,
and it appeared that a lad from some distance, who
had been taught in one of the schools I have been
speaking of, had been for some months employed in
this village, and having brought with him a portion

Digitized by VjOOQIC

'70 VILLAGES NEAR MADRAS.

of the New Testament, had read it aloud so often,
that the poor old man, who was much interested in
it, had learnt a good deal by heart. The lad had
left the village some time before, but the memory
of the attentive hearer still retained the precious
truths.

No Missionary, however, nor schoolmaster, could
be sent, for there were no labourers to go, nor any
funds to support them ; and if this old man ever
fully received the Gospel to the saving of his soul,
it was without any human instrumentality. O
pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, to send
forth labourers into the harvest, for trWy the fields
are white already.*

Some of the inhabitants of these villages are
Eoman Catholics, of whom there are a great many
in Madras and the neighbourhood, and, indeed,
throughout all Southern India. They are descended
from the converts of Francis Xavier, and other
Portuguese Missionaries, who accompanied the
«arly settlers on these shores.
• Lately two Lrish Roman Catholic bishops and
eleven priests have been sent out to Madras, and a
college of Irish students and East Indian and native
boarders has been opened in Black Town, pro-
fessing to be furnished with every requisite for a
literary and scientific education.

* These villages have now been transferred to the
Society for Propagating the Gospel.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

VILLAGES NEAB MADBAS. 71

But, alas ! a large proportion of native Christians
of this commtinion are scarcely to be distinguished
from the heathen, except by the absence of the ashes
on the forehead. Their principles and conduct
dishonour the holy name by which they are called,
and the desire of this Church to increase the number
of outward adherents rather than to promote their
spiritual welfare, has led her to acconunodate herself
in almost every respect to the practices around her.
In many parts of the country you would hardly
know a Roman Catholic from a heathen procession,
unless your eye were to glance on the crucifix, or
the figure of the Virgin carried aloffc, amidst the din
and pageant ; and if you went into one of their
chapels, the images, and pictures, and relics, would
almost make you think you were in some ancient
heathen shrine, instead of a place for the service of
Him who is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. .
How grievous is it that the name of Christ should
be thus dishonoured among the heathen I

Besides the Roman Catholics, there are a few
Armenians living in Black Town, who have settled
here for the purpose of trade. They have a church
near the Esplanade; and if you lived at the
Mission-house, you would be interested in your
early morning walks by a nice looking old man in
a long dress of blue cloth, with a leathern girdle,
and a string of beads round his neck, pacing back-

dbyGoogk

72 VILLAGES NEAB MADRAS.

wards and forwards from the comer of one of the
streets to the Esplanade. The movement of his
lips, and the quick passing of his thumb and finger
from one bead to another, tell you that he is engaged
in exercises of devotion ; and presently the sound
of the bell announces that the six o'clock service is
about ,to begin, the church doors are opened, and
he goes in to finish his morning worship.

I know not who he is, or where he comes from ;
but I know that for years past he has been there
morning after morning, and that his quiet, humble,
serious look and manner, lead those who see him to
hope and believe, that though clouded by the errors
of his Church, yet that his mind and heart have
received some portion of light from above.*
- The Armenians are a very quiet people, -and
though they do not further the^ progress of Divine
Truth among the heathen, yet they do not hinder
it, and had we but^ more missionaries, we might
hope to awaken them to a fuller knowledge of the
Gospel. But as I have already shown you, we
have not enough to keep up what has been already
begun, and it is, therefore, in vain at present to
hope for any extension of the plans of the Society.
I remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.
* He is now dead.

dbyGoogk

CENTRAL SCHOOL FOR NATIVE GIRLS. 73

LETTER IX.

My dear Lucy,

How differently circumstanced are the wom^n in
India from those in our own happy land I Here,
where the light of the Grospel still shines brightly^
they are considered as the companions and friends
of their fathers, their brothers, or their husbands —
their feelings are consulted, their comfort is pro-?
moted, and their mental improvement is attended
to; for, known to be co-heirs of immortality, they
are felt also to be helps meet upon earth.

But far different is the lot of the native women in
India — their relation to Grod being unknown, tlceir
usefulness to man is the only object of considera-
tion ; and it is taken for granted that the only
end of their existence is to promote his temporal
advantage.

The females of higher rank are secluded in their
own apartments, where, confined to the society of
their children and attendants, and seldom honoured
by a visit from their husbands, they pass the tedious
days in indolence or useless occupations.
' In the lower ranks they are, in fact, household
slaves, and when the work within doors is finished.

dbyGoogk

74 CENTRAL SCHOOL

are thrust out to beat rice, to draw water, to collect
cow-dung for fuel, or even to wo^k as bricklayers'
labourers, while their husbands perhaps are sitting
at home, sleeping, or indulging in listless idleness.
"" Whether of high or low caste, the wife never
ventures to eat with her husband or her sons ; she
must stand behind till thej have finished, and then,
taking the leavings of their meal, must retire to eat
it out of sight.*

You will readily suppose that their education is
not attended to, and will not be surprised that
while the boys are generally sent to school and
taught to read, to write, and keep accounts, the
poor girls are brought up in the most entire
ignorance.

Generally speaking, the higher classes still remain
inaccessible on this point to European influence^
and allege that their daughters would be degraded
by learning to read ! But happily, the lower classes
are )iot so prejudiced, and though in most places
they showed at first great unwillingness to allow
their girls to go to school, yet now, as they begin
to see the advantage of it, their unwillingness has
. very much given way, and in some places they are
even anxious for their education.

♦ Bishop Heber says, "The worst food, the coarsest
• gannents, the meanest work, and the hardest blows, seem
to be considered the woman's portion."

dbyGoogk

FOR NATIVE GIRLS. 75

But there is as yet a very small number of female
schools in proportion to the multitude of children
who might be instructed, for the parents are too
poor to pay ; and all that are at present established
in South India are entirely supported by the liber- "^
ality of Christian friends.

The first movement towards female education in
Madras itself was from the natives. In 1824,
several parents applied to Mrs. Ridsdale to establish
a day school for their daughters. She did so, and
others arose in consequence ; but no regular plan
was adopted till 1830, when some ladies residing
there, determined to form themselves into a Com-
mittee, and to establish a larger number of schools.

They were encouraged by finding the children
willing to come, and very intelligent and quick in
learning their lessons ; and after a little while, a
large room was built in Black Town for a central
school.

This school is under the charge of Mrs. Winckler, »
whose lively and afiectionate interest for the chil-
dren is met 0^ their part by a fondness for schooL
and a desire for improvement, which leads to tite
assured hope, that her work of faith and labour of
love will not be thrown away.

There are generally about a hundred and forty
girls present, and you would be delighted to see.
them, with their gentle yet eager countenancesf^

dbyGoogk

76 CENTRAL SCHOOL

Standing in their classes, or more frequently sitting
on the ground with their legs crossed, learning
their lessons, or knitting, or working, or writing ;
and I assure you there are not many schools in
England that could show such beautifully neat work
as is sent out from this.

You would wonder to see them write their copies,
for, instead of paper, they have each of them an olei,
or long strip of the palmyra leaf, about an inch and
a half broad, and one or two feet long. This they
hold in the left hand, and in their right, instead of
pen and ink, they grasp a style, or sharp iron instru-
ment, which they rest against a notch in the left
thumb nail, and with it scratch the words on the leaf.
They afterwards rub it over with powdered charcoal,
or the leaf of some particular plant, which, sinking
into the scratches, makes the letters black or green.*

* A clergyman who has sometimes preached in the
Mission church at Palamcottah, told me that the first time

dbyGoogk

FOR NATIVE GUCLS. 77

To US this would be a difficult and awkward
manner of writing ; but the natives, from long
habit, write in this way very neatly and quickly.

Tou would wonder too at their school books,
which are of the same material as their copies, only
the strips are shorter, and aU cut to the same length
and breadth ; they are kept together by a string
fastened to a shell, which is long enough to alloi^
the leaves to be sufficiently separated to be read,
and when they are not in use, is twisted round
them. Sometimes the outside leaves are ornamented
with various devices, and when nicely executed, the
whole is remarkably neat and pretty.

0^®^

The parents of some of the children at Mrs.
Winckler's school are employed in the service of
Europeans, and being therefore comparatively well
off, can afford to give them proper clothing, and to
allow them two meals a-day. But the rest are
extremely poor and wretched ; they come to school
half-naked, very dirty, and sometimes without food ;

he gave out his text, there was suddenly such a scratch-
ing, like the nibbling of mice, that he could not think
what it could be, till he found it was the seminary boys
writing down the text upon their oleis.

dbyGoogk

78 CENTRAL SCHOOL

96 tiiat it not imfrequentty happens, that a girl,
^hen standing up in her class, will become so faint

vHrom hunger and exhaustion, as to be obliged to
leave her place and lie down.

7 Miserable indeed is the outward condition of many
•of these poor girls : and yet, happy are they if they

. learn, as we may hope some of them do, the way
to obtain true riches — ^gold tried in the fire, and
raiment made white in the blood of the Lamb.
Their parents are too poor to have even a house of
their own, they live in the piols of the houses of the
better classes, sheltering themselves with a screen of
cocoa-nut leaves or bamboos, without any furniture
except a few chatties,* in one of which they make
their fire, and in the others dress their food, or keep
their rice and water. Sometimes, but not always,
they have a mat to sleep upon.

The poverty of these poor people obliges them to
eat whatever they can get, fish, dead animals, and
any kind of grain boiled soft ; but the higher classes
are very particular in their diet, and any departure
from the established customs would occasion loss of
caste.

The food of these last is almost exclusively rice
and vegetables, with curry, and sometimes a little
assafcetida, which they say gives a flavour resem-
bling animal food.

* Earthen vessels of various forms and sizes..

dbyGoogk

FOR NATIVE GIBLS. 79

When at home and alone, their food is served to
them in small brass basins ; but when the7 receive
visitors, or are on a journey, they only use plates of
leaves, that they may avoid all risk of defilement.

These plates are very pretty, and are made of
one leaf, if large enough, or if not, of several
small ones, pinned together with little splinters t)f
the stalk.

A dinner party among the richer Bramins must
be a curious sight. The guests are of course seated
on the floor, and before each of them twenty or
thirty of these plates are set, filled with various
kinds of food. These are all placed on the bare
floor ; which, instead of a table cloth, is adorned
with patterns of flowers, &c.j very prettily laid out
in sands of different bright colours, in frames,
which are removed when the feast is concluded.

From the same fear of defilement, they never
allow their earthen vessels to be seen ; but when
they go to the bazaar or the well, will only take
those of brass or lead, as these can be more
thoroughly cleansed than the others.

But I have wandered away very far from Mrs.
Winckler and her school, and will now return there
for a few minutes.

There are examinations held every month, but 1
besides these, there is an annual one, when all the |
Madras schools under the Ladies' Committee are |

dbyGoogk

80 CENTRAL SCHOOL

collected together at the central school, and the
upper classes from each school are examined..

A lady, who has several times been present, gives
me the following account : —

" The room is spacious and lofty, with pillars
along the sides ; at one end were the benches for
the visitors, and the girls who were to be examined,
about ninety in number, were seated at the other.
The younger ones were ranged along the sides of
the room, between the pillars and the outer wall,
and the number altogether was above 500. On a
table in the middle of the room were specimens of
their work and writing, and on another, the rewards
intended for distribution.

" It was a very striking sight, when I first went
in, to see all these girls seated on the floor, with olei
copies lying before them, and books or samplers in
their hands.

<' As I was early, I had time to look round the
room ; and one of the girls was called out that I
might see her write. There was not a blank leaf
left, so Daniel (the Madras head catechist), who
was present, just took one of the written copies,
and splitting it, made two fresh pages, the girl laid
the leaf upon her knee, and wrote a few lines very
neatly and quickly.

'' As soon, as the visitors had arrived, and all was
ready, a Tamul hymn was sung to an English

dbyGoogk

FOR NATIVE GIBLS. 81

tune; this was followed by a prayer in English,
which was interpreted by Daniel into Tamul ; then
the Lord's prayer in Tamul, in which the girls all
joined.

" They were first examined in Gen. xviii., which
they had prepared on purpose, and they answered
extremely well. One of the chaplains, who was
there, then asked them questions on different parts
of Scripture, and this interested me even more
than the former, as they were quite unprepared,
and yet gave very satisfactory answers.

" They seemed thoroughly to understand the fall
of Adam and the remedy provided : * What did
Adam and Eve lose by eating the forbidden fruit ? *
*They lost the likeness of God.' *Is man now
born in the likeness of God ?' *I116,' (No,) from
many voices. I lost a gf eat deal from not under-
standing Tamul ; for, though the clergyman trans-
lated the questions and answers, it, of course, was
not the same thing, particularly as, when several
answered together, he only repeated the answer
which seemed the most appropriate. When, how-
ever, the answer was only *Ama,' (Yes,) or ^1116,'
(No,) I could understand and fully enjoy it.

" They were well acquainted with the history of
Abraham. When asked about his faith, one girl
made a long quotation from Romans iv., which she

dbyGoogk

82 FEMALE SCHOOLS

applied very nicely : * Was Abraham justified by
his righteousness ?' *I116,' from many voices. *By
what then?' *By faith.' *By whose righteous-
ness ? ' * The Lobd's.' They seemed quite to under-
stand the alone way of salvation through Jesus
Christ ; and when asked whether Yishnoo or Siva
could save them, the ^1116' that sounded through
the room, seemed to come from their hearts.

"It is a painful part of the intercourse with these
poor girls, to know that, after they have been thus
declaring, and apparently with sincerity, that their
idols cannot save them, they return home and join
their parents in worshipping them."
' There have not, however, been wanting instances
of girls being so convinced of the falsehood of their
own religion, and the truth of Christianity, that
they have made an uncompromising confession of
it, and suffered much in consequence.

One girl refused to accompany her friends to a
heathen temple, and when forcibly carried there,
still refused to worship the idol ; and another was
driven from her home, and obliged to take refuge in
the house of one of the catechists. I wish I could
tell you more about these two girls, but I have
never heard of them since.

"When the examination was over, the girls came
round to show their work and writing, and the

dbyGoogk

FOR NATIVE GIRLS. 83

absence of the English cartse7 was more than sup-
plied by their graceful salaam.*

" The rewards were then distributed, consisting
chiefly of bags, needle books, and scissors, sent by
friends in England ; and the kind donors would
indeed have been gratified, could they have seen
the pleasure they afforded, and the smiles and
salaams with which they were received."

I was much amused by an account I heard from
the same lady of a doU being shown to some of
these children. It was dressed as an English
housemaid ; but, as they cannot be persuaded that
there are any white people except ladies and gen-
tlemen, they were not a little astonished and per-
plexed when told that this was an English ayah.
" What I ayahs dress like ladies ?** "Do they live
with them — and eat with them ?" "Do they have
knives and forks, or do they eat with their fin-
gers ?** " Shoes and stockings, too I Does it rain
there ? Is it not dirty ? Do they wear them
when they go out?** were a few of the expressions
of surprise that were called forth.

The idea, however, of all white people being
ladies and gentlemen, is not confined to these poor
children, for a gentleman who had lived in India
from his earliest childhood, and came to England

* Gently bowing the head, with the baud on the forehead,
o 2

dbyGoogk

84 FEMALE SCHOOLS FOR NATIVE GIELS.

for the first time a little while ago, told me, that on
his arrival, he could with difficulty divest himself of
the same notion, and when walking in the streets of
London, frequently found himself wondering where
all the servants and low-caste people could be.

But mj letter has run on to an unusual length,
and I will only add that

I remain.

Yours affectionately,
S. T

dbyGoogk

OBAMMAE SCHOOL, ETC. 85

LETTEE X.

Mt deab Lucy,
I WISH I could give you a satisfactory account of
the education of the Heathen and Mohammedan
boys in Madras; but I grieve to say, that the
Church of England has made no effectual attempt
to instruct these youths in the truths of the Chris-
tian religion.

Lately, however, I rejoice to find that the Church
Missionary Society has resolved, under God, to
establish a school upon an enlarged plan, particu-
larly with a view to the education of the higher
classes of natives ;* and I earnestly hope that no
want of funds, or any other difficulty, wiU arise to
prevent this most important measure from being
carried into execution.

But I must not omit to give you a little account
of "Bishop Corrie's Grammar School."

As I mentioned in a former letter, the population
of Black Town consists partly of East Indians.

* This has since been done in Tinnevelly by the estab-
lishment of a Native English Day-school under Mr.
Cruickshanks, which is producing fruit to the praise and
glory of God.

dbyGoogk

86 GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ETC.

These form a distinct class ; and, till within these
few years, the conduct of Europeans towards them
was such, as has how, it is to be hoped, for ever
passed away.

The consequence was, that with the exception of
a few, whose natural vigour of mind enabled them
to rise above the disadvantages of their situation,
they were sunk in a kind of listless torpor. It was
difficult to rouse the boys to take interest even in
a game of play, and the chief concern of all,
whether rich or poor, seemed to be to make a good
appearance in the eyes of others, whilst their oppo-
sition to the truth was so great, that when Mr.
Bidsdale first entered upon his duties at the Mis-
sion chapel, he was frequently in danger of per-
sonal violence when he left the pulpit.

But after a time, the word of God took root
among them, and by degrees, many were, by means
of his and Mr. Lovelace's ministry, brought to a
saving knowledge of the Gospel. Mrs. Bidsdale
also established two small day schools for the
poorer classes among them, and Mr. Bidsdale col-
lected a few boys into a Sunday school^ They
used to come decked out with rings and chains,
and perfumed with attar of rose, or oil of sandal
wood, when perhaps they had not curry and rice to
eat at home.

After some time, by the exertions of Mr. Blackman

dbyGoogk

GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ETC 87

and his friends, the "Parental Academy" was
opened, with the view of giving the opportunity of
a better education to the higher classes among
them, but chiefly from want of an efficient master,
it nearly expired.

In 1837, under the sanction, and I might almost
say, by means of the faith and zeal, of Bishop
Corrie, the Grammar School was established which
now bears his name, and in a remarkable manner,
a superior master was met with, and appointed.

It is founded on the principle of giving a sound
general and religious education, in accordance with
our Established Church, and receives East Indians,
as well as Europeans, whose parents are not in a
station of life to send them to England, as either
boarders or day scholars, and admits a few natives,
only as day scholars.

The attempt was so new, that great anxiety as
to its success was felt by the promoters of it, and it
was the subject of many an earnest hope, and many
a prayer. Six months passed quietly and rapidly
awi^, the time arrived for the first public exami-
nation, and to the delight of all who were inte-
rested in it, the change that appeared in the pupils
was beyond their most sanguine expectations. . It
was not the quantity of knowledge they had
acquired, though that was in a very fair proportion,
but it was the spirit and intelligence that pervaded

dbyGoogk

88 ORAMMAB SCHOOL, ETC.

the whole school, and formed so marked a contrast
to their former listlessness and indifference. It was
as if their minds had suddenly been unchained, and
were rejoicing in the exercise of their newly acquired
powers.

Since that time, though there could not of course
be another such burst of intellect, the school has
gone on steadily and prosperously ; and were you
to pass some Saturday evening with the older pupils
at the Mission house ; or from the window to watch
the spirit with which the younger ones play on the
flat roof of the Grammar School ; or, in one of your
evening drives were to pass the Esplanade during
one of their games of cricket, you would acknow-
ledge that there is no longer in them any deficiency
of either bodily or mental energy ; while you will
rejoice to know that the improvement is not con-
fined to themselves alone, but is beginning to have
a considerable influence on the whole community.

Some of the native boys are placed there by
the Church Missionary Society ; and some of the
boarders receive their education (like Savarimuttoo)
by means of a private fund, raised by friends in
England. Two of these have been admitted into
the Church Missionary Institution, and their places
supplied by two others, who are going on very
satisfactorily.

The success which attended this effort for the

dbyGoogk

6RAMMAB SCHOOL, ETC. 89

improvemeiit of the bojs, encouraged the attempt to
provide the same advantages for their sisters, and
led to the establishment of the " Ladies' Institution "
at Yeperj, upon the same principle and general plan
as the Grammar School, except that natives are not
admissible. Two ladies were engaged in England ;
the passage of both was very kindly paid for by
the Society for Female Education in the East, and
their outfit was providedTy~private friends. They
entered upon their work in September, 1838, and
for more than a year everything went on most
encouragingly. The number of pupils was greater
than had been expected, and their improvement
very satisfactory in every respect.

Unhappily, circumstances arose which in the
beginning of 1840, led to this connexion being dis-
solved; and the school must have fallen to the
ground, had it not been for the unremitted exertions
of the Ladies' Conmgittee in Madras. By their
means it was^ept up, and is now, I trust, begin-
ning again to flourish under the care of two other
ladies who left England in the spring. The outfit
and passage of one of these were again provided by
the liberality of private friends, and those of the
other by the continued kindness of the Society for
Female Education.*

* It is now flourishing more than it has ever done before,
under the care of two very valuable English ladies.

dbyGoogk

90 GBAMBIAB SCHOOL, ETC.

Indeed, the East Indians in Madras owe much
to this Society, for thej had before (early in 1838)
sent out another lady, to whose school I must now
introduce you.

If you will again come with me into Black Town,
and walking from the Mission house along the side
of the garden, go through the Church compound and
cross the street that passes it, you will come to a
nice comfortable house, where a day school is kept
for the daughters of East Indians, whose situation in
life is just below those at the Ladies' Institution.

J£ you go in, you will find twenty-five or twenty-
six nice pleasant-looking . little girls, all busy and
happy ; but you cannot be so much aware of their
improvement as those are who assisted in the first
establishment of this school, and who feared that
' their habits of indolence, untidiness, and self-indul-
gence would never be overcome. I trust the great
change in these respects is only the forerunner of a
far more important change in heart and spirit ; and
that by degrees many may be raised up, both from
this and from the Ladies' Institution, who, from
having been born in the country, will prove more
efficient teachers of the native females than Euro-
peans can ever be.

The*" Church Missionary Institution" has been
established in Madras, for the purpose of preparing
natives, and young men born in the country, exclu-

dbyGoogk

GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ETC. 91

sivelj for Missionarj work, either as catechists or
ordained Missionaries. One of the students is now
a catechist at Masulipatam ; five still remain, most
of whom, if not all, were educated in the Grammar
School, and all of whom give a good hope of being
devoted in heart to the service of their Master.*

They have a native Sunday school of their own,
and are beginning in various ways to form habits
of future usefuhiess.

Part of the house affords a home to those native
day scholars at the Grammar School, who come
from distant stations, and have no friends at Madras
with whom they can reside.

There is much that is interesting in these native
boys, some of whom are the children or orphans
of pious parents ; and a little circumstance lately
occurred, so characteristic, that I must repeat it. '

The clergyman at the head of the Institution was;
roused from his sleep at day-break, on new year^
day, by the sound of voices, sweetly singing, —

* Since this was written, aix young men (three of whom
are natives), who received their education in this Institu-
tion, have been ordained, and are stationed as foUows : —
Rev. James Spratt, at Meignanapuram ; Rev. J. B. Rodgers,
and Rev. Dewasagayam Gnanamuttoo, at Madras ; Rev.
Jesudaren John, at Palamcottah ; Rev. George Matthun,
in Travancore ; and Rev. J. E. Sharkey, at Masulipatam.
Several others are also engaged in Missionary work.

dbyGoogk

92 ORAHMAB SCHOOL, ETC.

'< O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come ;
Our refuge from the stormy hlast,
And our eternal home."

He found they were the voices of these boys,
who, entirely from their own thought, were thus
welcoming the opening year; and, trifling as the
incident was, it awakened ijj^ his heart many a
feeling of joy and hope — ^for none but those who
are bearing the burden and heat of the day can
know how the heart is refreshed by the smallest
indication of spiritual feeling.

New year's day is a great day at Madras. All
the offices and shops are closed; and the natives
choose this day for making presents to their masters
or employers. Old Bamiah, a heathen writer in the
Church Missionary Office, always brings a handsome
brass dish filled with beautiful plantains, and some-
times accompanies it with a present of Brahminee
suigar plums. The bricklayer will bring models of
fruit in chunam ; the tailor, a bunch of flowers in
wax; John and Timothy (Cornelius' sons), a
specimen of penmanship ; and the children of the
servants all have some little gift to present, — cakes,
or flowers, or gilded limes.

The people are very fond of flowers, and make
them up into very pretty bunches, or sometimes

dbyGoogk

GBAHMAR SCHOOL, ETC. 93

lay them in a piece of the transparent bright green
plantain leaf, which they fold into a kind of sheath,
and fasten together with long thorns. And they
often weave a garland of jessamine, or some sweet
scented flower, and throw it round the neck of a
friend or a visitor.

But, alas ! this natural love for flowers is
degraded to the service of their idols, and their
choicest blossoms, their sweetest garlands, are
reserved for those hideous blocks of wood or stone.
O ! that their eyes were opened to see the truth,
and trace in every bud and blossom the love of
Him who gives us all we have or hope for.

But I have told you enough about Madras,
and will proceed to some of the other missionary
stations.

The first shall be Mayaveram ; * and in my next
letter I will give you some account of the journey
thither.

I remain.

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* The nearest Church Missionary Society's station, 160
miles south of Madras.

dbyGoogk

94 JOURNEY TO MATAVERAM.

LETTER XL

Mt dear Lucy,
When setting out on a journey in England, you
have only to pack up the clothes and books you
are likely to want, and to get into whatever carriage
you intend to travel by, knowing that you will be
able to order your dinner, or take up your abode for
the night, at some comfortable inn upon the road.

But you must make very different preparations
for travelling in Lidia. Your palanquin must be
not only your carriage, but your bed, your library,
your wardrobe, and the bearer of almost everjrthing
you will require on your journey. You may pack
a few of your clothes in the imperial on the top,
but must leave room in it for your tea things, your
knife and fork, candlestick, wax candles, bread, tea,
sugar, pepper, salt, and, in short, for all those
minor comforts, which, while we possess, we so
seldom think of, or are grateful for, but of which
we sadly feel the want, when deprived of them.

On the outside a tea-kettle must repose among
the folds of a coarse blue cloth which lies on the top,
and occasionally serves as a cover to the palanquin;
a gurglet of water, in a wicker case, is slung

dbyGoogk

JOUBNEY TO MATAVERAM.

at the back, and some place must be found for a
camp stool, which is by turns to serve as a seat, a
table, or a washing-stand.

Within the palanquin is a mattress and pillow, '
two little drawers, and everything to make you
comfortable by night, and neat in the day.

All being ready, you get into it, the bearers lift
it on their shoulders, and you set out on your
strange journey. The pdes of the palanquin are

carried by three men in front and three behind,
while six more run by the side, ready to change
with them every three or four minutes. The
" mussalchee," or torch bearer, runs also with them,
holding in his left hand the torch, made of twisted
cotton cloth, and in his right a flask of oil, with its
long bamboo neck, to feed the flame. But if you
do not take care, you will be sadly annoyed with

dbyGoogk

96 JOUBNEY TO MATAVERAM.

the smoke, for they always contrive, for what
reason I know not, to get to the windward of the
palanquin, and when sent round to the other side,
will soon return unless you watch them. But your
party is not yet complete, you must have a " cavady
coolie," to carry the remainder of your books and
clothes, in two tin boxes, fastened to the ends of a
long bamboo, and slung across his shoulder. But
do not intrust him with your provisions, or any-
thing you are likely to require for immediate use,
lest he should loiter on the road, and you should
find yourself in the morning, as I have known it to
be the case, without bread for breakfast, or a change
of clothing.

You naust not be frightened at the strange noise
the bearers make ; nor as a lady, a friend of mine,
once did, attempt to stop them, thinking they are
groaning firom pain or over weight. It is their
constant habit, and you will soon get so accustomed

' to it, as to forget they are making it.

You will start probably about five or six o'clock

/ in the afternoon, and as you proceed, the stillness
and coolness of the evening air, the clearness of
the atmosphere, giving to the stars a brilliancy
unknown in colder climates, or revealing the moon
as a globe of light suspended in the firmament, and

. the^ evening planet almost like a smaller moon ; the
fire-flies flitting round and round the trees, — ^all

dbyGoogk

JOUBNET TO MATAVBRAM. 97

combine to give you a feeling of romance and de-
light, perhaps scarcely known before: — ^while the
only sounds you hear, are the strange noises and
the footfall of the bearers, or the distant croaking of
the frogs, which your inexperienced ear will pro-
bably mistake for the bleating of lambs or kids.
'^ Sounds inharmonious in themselves and harsh,"
but not unpleasing when all else, around is silent.

Leaving Madras by a southern road, you cross
the river Adyar, with its ornamented banks, and
pass near your early friend St. Thomas's Mount.
A little on your right, but out of sight, is the
smaller mount of the same name, with the Roman
Catholic Church on the summit. Tradition asserts,
that here the apostle Thomas suffered mart^dom, —
that here, he who was once so weak in faith, was
strengthened and upheld to lay down his life for
truths he had before found it so difficult to receive.
Some, however, think it was another holy man of
the same name, but at a later period ; but all agree
that this was the spot where he who first brought
the tidings of salvation to this people sitting in
darknessy was, after being permitted to make many
converts, put to death by a heathen prince.

Your first night's run will take you to Sadras,
near which, though not in the direct road, are
" The Seven Pagodas,** (said to be properly " Si-
ven's Pagodas,** as being dedicated to Siven or

dbyGoogk

98 JOUSNET TO MATAYERAK.

Siva,) but these celebrated remains of an age too
remote for any thing but fable> have been so often
and so fullj described, that I shall not dwell upon
them. I will only say, that if you wish to see
them under the soft radiance of the setting sun,
you must defer your visit to them till just before
your departure from Sadras on the following even-
ing; but you will do better to turn out of your
road on your way thither, so as either to "view them
by the pale moonlight," or to watch the waves
kindling with the golden light of morning, till you
almost believe the Hindoo legend, and fancy you
can discern the glittering domes and pinnacles of
the once proud city* of the "mighty Bali."

Very melancholy, howiever, are these ruins to
the Christian's heart, as his thoughts run back to
the unknown period of their erection, and he endea-
vours in vain to trace through the intervening ages
any thing beyond a transient gleam of light, that
has as yet visited this vast country.

You will be struck as you travel on by the
ehauUrieSy which are very numerous, both on the
roads and on the banks of rivers. They have been
built at different times by wealthy natives, for the
accommodation of travellers, particularly of pil-

* The proper name of the place is Mavalipoor (Maha-
vaiipooram), "the city of the Great B6i\i."-^See Asiatic
Besearchesy and The Curse of Kehama.

dbyGoogk

JOURNEY TO MAYAVERAM. 99

grims, for whose use, one, or sometimes more, are
attached to the larger pagodas ; and before so many
travellers' bungalows had been provided, Europeans
also were often very glad to take shelter in them.

They vary greatly in size and beauty, and some
of them are very splendid ; but, in general, the
smaUer ones consist merely of a kind of deep
colonnade, the back being a solid wall, and the
sides and front having only the open pillars which
support the roof. The floor is paved, and raised
one or two feet above the ground. The larger oneft
have usually a shallower colonnade with a door in
the middle of the back, opening into a cloistered
quadrangle, which serves for the temporary home
of the passing traveller, while the bazaar, which
is seldom wanting, supplies his few and simple
wants of rice, curry-stuff, and chatties.

I must introduce you as you pass along to the
bungalow at Alemparva. It is, I believe, almost
the only private one* upon the road, and belongs to
a person of French extraction, who has retained
the courtesy of his nation without its affectation.

As you approach it, you pass, on your left, one
of those quadrai^ular choultries I have just
described, and on your right is a large and beau-
tiful banicm, that curious tree, whose widely-spread-

* A traveller's bungalow has since been built here by
Government.

dbyGoogk

100 JOURNEY TO MATAYEBAH.

ing branches throw out perpendicular fibres, which
growing downwards till they reach the ground,
strike root, and each becomes a separate tree, till
the originally single stem is in time multiplied into
an interwoven grove.

The bungalow itself stands in a small compound,
and is backed by cocoa-nut trees, whose former
leaves have furnished the materials for this singular
building. The long slender leaflets on one side of
the leaf are notched and turned back, and being
then woven in with those of the opposite side, form
a narrow mat, of which one of the outer edges is
the middle fibre of the leaf. A double row of these
mats, fastened to the outer and inner side of stakes
driven into the ground, serve for the walls — ^the
roof is of the same material, and so are the parti-
tions which separate two or three small bed-rooms
from the long narrow sitting room. The fence that
surrounds the compound is like the walls, while
the fioor of the bungalow is merely the sand of the
natural soil.

You may, however, contrive to make yourself
very comfortable here, and may have a better meal
than at some other places on your road ; for, though
you must depend on your own resources for bread,
yet you can get good fish, and the coffee is excel-
lent.

But I do not intend to enter into any regular

dbyGoogk

JOURNEY TO MATAYBRAIC. 101

description of your supposed journey ; I only wish
to give you some general idea of the way in which
your days and nights will be passed, and now and
then to draw your attention to some striking object
on the road.

At four or five o*clock in the morning you will
be roused by the bearers' cry of "Sep6y, Sep6y !*'
and by finding your palanquin set down at the door
of a travellers' bungalow. The summons is quickly
answered by a respectable looking man, often with
a white beard, and with a red or white turban,
whose red soldier's jacket over his native dress tells
you that he has belonged to our Indian army. The
door is soon unlocked, and you and your palanquin
are admitted.

These travellers' bungalows have been erected by~^
Grovemment, at intervals along the principal roads /
for the use of European travellers, and consist |
usually of two rooms, each having a bath room I
attached to it. The only furniture is a table, and /
two or three chairs, with now and then a cot ;
but many of them have lately been supplied with a \
small religious library by the liberality of private I
friends.

Your first business will be to unpack your palan-
quin, and then to bathe and dress; and by the
time you have finished, your tea kettle is boiling,
milk and eggs have been procured from the neigh-

dbyGoogk

102 JOUBNBT TO HATAYERAH.

bouring bazaar, and you sit down to a hungry
breakfast.

After breakfast your tea-things must be washed
and re-packed, and you will then have some hours
for reading, writing, or meditation, as you feel most
disposed.

Your bearers have left you to get food and rest,
the Sep6y and Peon in charge have laid themselves
down to sleep, and you are left to the enjoyment of
the most perfect quiet and repose. Nature itself
partakes of the general stillness, not a breath of
air is stirring to move ^* the market flag" that
points out the neighbouring bazaar ; and the shadow
of the cocoa**nut has become a fixed spot upon the
ground.

Sometimes, however, the silence is broken by
the distant sound of the village drum, calling the
inhabitants to join in some idolatrous procession,
and painfully reminding you that you are in the
midst of a heathen land.

Dinner time now approaches ; a fowl has been
procured for you, and by the help of the shadow
of the bungalow, which serves him as a dial, the
Sepoy contrives to bring your curry and rice at the
time you ordered it.

After dinner, if it is tolerably cool, you will
probably saunter out to look about you. If a tank
is near, your eye will catch the bright deep red

dbyGoogk

JOir&NET TO MAYAYBBAM. 103

blossom of the sacred lotus with its '^ broad and
buoyant" leaves, now lying motionless on the
water, and now gently flapping up and down as a
rippling wave may pass across the surface. A
herd of buffaloes will probably be there enjoying
the delicious coolness — ^their whole bodies below
the water, with only " their nostrils raised to meet
the air/'*

If you pass a choultry, you will be amused and
interested with the busy scene. Under a tope of
tamarind or some other spreading trees, bullock
bandies will be standing, laden with cotton, skins
of oil, or the heavy baggage of some traveller. The
oxen have been taken out, and are enjoying their
evening meal of straw, while the tinkling of the
bells upon their necks, tells you how diligently they
are employed. The native oxen are different from
ours, they are shorter and thicker made, and have
a hump between their shoulders, and a remarkably
large dewlap with a kind of fringe. Their colour
is white, but at the Fongul feast their owners
paint their horns with various colours, and hang
garlands of flowers round their necks.

Some of the natives are meanwhile engaged in
making their simple purchases at the bazaar, others

• See Southey's accurate descriptions in bis « Curse of
Kehama."

dbyGoogk

104 JOUBKBT TO MATAVERAM.

are sitting in groups under the shelter of the
choultry, while the rest have established themselves
in different parties in the tope — ^their little fires
shining brightly among the trees, while their dark
and slender figures, and even the chatties in which
their rice is boiling, all add to the picturesque

If you pass one of these choultries in the night,
the scene is changed — ^nothing remains of their
little fires but the glimmer, or flickering flame of
the dying embers — ^the people have laid down to
sleep wrapped &om head to foot in their white
cloths like the Egyptian mummies, and the only
moving being is the Peon in charge, who, whether
you visit a choultry by night or day, is sure to
come forward to make salaam, and show that he
is there.

It is now, however, time for you to resume your
journey ; your bearers make their appearance, and
you are at first puzzled at one part of their pre-
parations. Two men, taking each the end of a
cloth, five or six yards in l^igth, fold it together
like a tablecloth; one of them stands fast, while
the other putting his own end of the cloth round
his waist, winds himself round and round in it as
tightly as he can, till he reaches his companion,
when taking the other end from him, he twists it

dbyGoogk

JOVBNET TO ICATAYERAM. 105

into his waist. The whole party do the same,
and thus '^ with their loins girded,** they are ready
to start.

But it will make my letter too long, if I complete
your journey now ; and I shall, therefore, reserve
the remainder for another opportunity. In the
meantime,

Bdieve me,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

106 JOURNEY TO MATAVBRAM.

LETTER XIL

Mt deab Lucy,

During the first part of your journey to the South,
your route will occasionally lie along the sea-shore ;
and the night scene will be diversified by the soft
moonlight playing on the distant waters, or touch-
ing the nearer spray with its silvery beams. The
croaking of the frogs will be exchanged for the
onward dashing or retiring murmur of the waves
upon the beach ; and in the fulness of a rejoicing
heart you will be ready to cry, " O Lord, how
manifold are thy works; the earth is full of thy
riches, so is the great and wide sea also."

Sometimes the bearers will run along so deep into
the water, for their own refreshment, that, with the
sea on either side of you, you would feel alarmed,
were you in other hands. But it is extraordinary
what unhesitating confidence you involuntarily as
it were, place, not only in the dexterity, but in the
integrity of purpose among the natives. Nor is this
confidence misplaced, for, by the providence of God,

dbyGoogk

JOUKNBT TO MATAVEBAM. 107

the moral influence of Europeans over this people
is so great, that you might travel alone from
Madras to Cape Comorin, and often find yourself
thirty or forty miles from any European, without
the slightest danger of any advantage being taken
of your defenceless situation.

But alas ! '^ in vain with lavish kindness," has .
our gracious God here strewn his choicest gifts of
iiature ; for throughout your whole progress, your
eye is met, and your heart saddened, by some token
of idolatry.

Now, resting against the stem of one of those
beautiful trees you so often pass, your attention is
attracted by a flat stone, carved with two snakes
entwined like the Caducous of old, and near it,
perhaps, the figure of a Swamy, with some poor
native prostrate before it.

At another time, your curiosity will be excited by
figures of horses, made of pottery, standing under
trees. They are strange looking objects, of various
sizes, some larger than life, and others very small,
but all made after the same model, with short thick
necks, and covered with trappings ; occasionally,
but not of^en, they have riders on them. They are
white-washed, and there are often twenty or thirty
together ; sometimes ranged side by side, staring at
you as you pass, and sometimes placed in a hollow

dbyGoogk

108 JOUBNEY TO MATAYERAH.

square, with their faces towards the centre. Thejr
are evidently of different dates, some looking new
and fresh, as if just placed there; and others partly
broken, and nearly hidden by the long grass that
has grown up around them.

They are very numerous in the province of
Tanjore, and seem to be offerings for some blessing
received; and aa the Bijah of Tanjore is of Mahratta
extraction, they are probably figures of Candoba,
an incarnation of Siva, and the great local divinity
of the Mahrattas, as he is generally represented as
an armed horseman.

You will pass near, or perhaps through, Porto
Novo ; where, within the last few years, the first
iron works in India have been established. The ore
is brought from Salem, and is said to be the best
yet discovered, superior even to that from the
Swedish mines.

Soon after leaving Porto Novo, you will reach the
Coleroon ; but I shall pass over the rest of your
journey, only calling your attention to the lofty
Groprums you will occasionally see, till you come
within sight of that of Mayaveram, which is visible
at some distance, though the town itself is so hidden
in trees, that you see nothing of it till you are close.

dbyGoogk

JOURNEY TO MATAVERAM.

109

GOPRUM OF AN HEATHEN TEMPLE.

You lose sight again even of the Groprum, as you
descend to cross the Cavery, that noble river, of
which I must give you % little longer account.

It rises in the Ghauts (the range of mountains
that divides Southern India into East and West);
and, after running three hundred miles through the
country of Mysore, is first seen in its beauty and
utility at Seringapatam. Here, rushing rapidly
over the iron-coloured rocks that lie scattered in
its bed, it encircles the fort and island, so me-
morable in our Eastern history, where the noble
persevering courage, and skilful conduct of Lord
Harris, were the means of planting the English

dbyGoogk

110 JOUKNEr TO MAYAVEKAM.

flag on those proud walls, whence Tippoo Saib had
once hoped to crush our Indian power.

Wonderful have been the dealings of God towards
us in these lands; and well may we ask, Why is it
that He has given us such glorious victories, and
such vast dominions ?*

For several hundred miles this noble river tra-
verses that extensive country, so often the scene of
British valour; now winding through the rich
scenery of the plains, and now dashing down a

* An old labouring man, in a village in Kent, when
first told of the Church Missionary Society, exclaimed,
" Well, I have always wondered, when people have talked
about India, why it was that God had given us that large
country, but now I know,'* He immediately became a
collector, and would every year bring 61, or 7/., which he
had received in small sums from his neighbours. The
writer of this once asked him how he was able to collect
so much, and was much struck by his answer, " Why,
Ma'am, I take some Missionary papers with me, and go of
an evening after my work to a cottage, and ask the people
if I shall read to them ; they generally are very glad I
should, so I sit down and read till sometimes they cry,
and I cry too, and then they are sure to give something."
He often used to say, <' Ah! if I were young, and God
would let me go, I would not stay in England. But I am
too old — he must go instead," alluding to a beloved
grandson, whom he had brought up, and whom he ardently
desired should be employed in Missionary work. The
desire of his heart was granted, and one of the last pieces
of earthly intelligence that reached his dying ear, was, that
his grandson had entered on his labour in a dis^t land.

dbyGoogk

JOUENEr TO MATAVERAM. Ill

height of three hundred feet During great part
of its progress, it is nearly a mile in breadth, but a
very small portion of its waters ever reaches the sea.
They are drawn off by innumerable channels on
either side, and these are intersected by smaller
ones, so as to convey the precious stream to a con-
siderable distance.

The Cavery, like all the rivers on this coast, is
affected by the regular monsoon in October. The
torrents of rain that then pour down soon swell its
streams, and, '^ full of water," it rolls along, bringing
with it fertility and joy. The people hasten to
conduct the water through the many little channels
over their paddy fields, and when the surface has
been softened into mud, they rudely plough it, sow
their seed, and continue to water it with the foot
till the rice has grown to some height. In February
they get in their harvest, and for the few next
months the ground lies fallow.

But there is a second harvest preparing for Tan-
jore, and all the region through which this river
flows. In June, the monsoon of the Malabar coast
sets in ; the clouds, driven by the south-west wind
against the mountains whence the CS,very has its
source, and hanging round their summits in wreaths
of mist, imperceptibly feed the little streams that
'^ run among the hills," and these, flowing into the
main channel, occasion a second rising of the river.

dbyGoogk

112 JOUBNEY TO KATAYEBAJf.

Again its fertilizing streams flow down, again is
the seed sown and watered, and before October,
God has again ** crowned the year with his good-
ness," and for the second time *^ the valleys are
covered over with com, they shout for joy, they also
sing."

A writer on the " Falls of the Cavery,"* gives
the following animated description of the^ effect of
the sudden swelling of the waters : —

" The cheering sound of this great stream in its
descent is a fit herald of the gladness it conveys to
the plains below, where all nature languishes in the
month of June with heat and drought. Without
any previous notice, in the midst sometimes of a
radiant sunshine, or in the stillness of the night, it
comes sweeping down with plenty and with healing
in its course.

*^ Those only who have seen the haggard eyes and
emaciated forms of the people, when its descent
has been delayed by a late season, and who have
also witnessed the joyful countenances which pro-
claim its timely arrival, can form an adequate
notion of its value. It seems, indeed, to be one
universal jubilee. Men, women, and children,
herds and flocks, and birds, and everything within
reach of its shores crowd to its banks," &c.

♦ " Narrative of a Journey to the Falls of the CAvery,"
&c., by Lieut. H. Jervis.

dbyGoogk

JOUENEY TO MAYAVERAM. 113

How does this illustrate the descHption in the
104th Psalm, " Every beast of the field quenching
its thirst,** and the " fowls of the heaven," singing
among the fresh foliage of the trees upon its banks I

The river, at the place where you will cross it, is
very picturesque, and adorned with a number of
cloister-Hke choultries standing among the trees
which line the banks, and having each by the side
of it a flight of stone steps for the convenience of
the pilgrims who come to wash away their sins in
this sacred river.

You are taken down the bank, and as your
bearers seldom find any difficidty in crossing the
stream and carrying you up the opposite side, a few
minutes* run brings you to Mayaveram.

This is a large town, containing about 10,000
souls, and standing in the midst of a large heathen
population in the surrounding villages. This part
of th^ country is, as Bishop Heber calls it, " the
most flavoured land of Brahminism,'* many of the
villages are considered sacred, and have Tiri or Tri
(holy) prefixed to their name.

Except the sub-collector of the district, the
nearest European residents are at Combaconum,
twenty-two miles distant; and a missionary sta-
tioned here can rarely meet with his fellow-country-
men, except as they may be passing through upon a
journey.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

114 JOURNEY TO IttATAVERAM.

Upon entering the town, jou will pass through a
tolerably good street, the houses separated from each
other by little gardens, till you come to the fine
broad road which leads to Taiyore. Turning down
it to the right, and leaving on one side a little
swamy house, and under the trees on the other a
group of those mysterious horses, a few steps will
bring you to the gate of the Mission compound.

And here I must just introduce you to two occu-
piers of the small grass plot at the side of the house
—-one of them a small stone idol of a foot and
a half, or two feet high, which had been taken from
some deserted shrine, — and close beside it the im-
mense bone of a whale, twelve or fifteen feet in
length. Mr. Barenbruck often made use of these
in his conversation with the heathen who visited
him, asking them if they really thought that little
piece of stone could have made that wonderful and
curious bone.

Leaving you here for the present,
I remain.

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

MATAyERA.M MISSION.

115

LETTER Xm.

wateb cabrieb.

My deab Lucy,
My last letter left you just arrived at Majaveram,
poor Majaveram! "But why poor f** you will
naturally ask. Truly Mayaveram is not poor in
the eyes of its heathen inhabitants. With it
I 2

dbyGoogk

116 MAYAYERAM MISSION.

handsome pagodas, thronged on days of festival by
multitudes of worshippers from the country round ;
situated so near the sacred Cavery, the resort of
thousands of pilgrims, who hope its waters will
wash away their sins ; and honoured by being the
abode of so many Bramins — ^it is in their eyes a
favoured and a holy place.

Nor would it appear poor to the careless eye of a
passing European. He would be struck with the
beauty and fertility of the country, with the well
watered fields, and the two-fold harvest ; and though
the Mission premises are desolate and uninhabited,
yet they might be soon restored to neatness and
comfort ; the little chapel and the seminary are both
within the compound; the garden, though neg-
lected, is well laid out ; and a little care would soon
bring back the myrtle hedge to its former beauty.

But Mayaveram t^ poor, for she has long been
under the chastening hand of Grod, and no Mission
in Southern India has experienced such reverses as
this sweet attractive spot.*

The Rev. Theophilus Barenbruck was its first
missionary ; he removed to it from Tranquebar, in
1825, and the work flourished under him till 1830,
when illness forced him to return to Europe. In
1833, the Rev. G. Winckler, who succeeded him,
was obliged to do the same ; and with the exception
* See note on page 124.

dbyGoogk

MATAYERAM MISSION. 117

of the Rev. B. Schmid's residenoe for a few months,
Majaveram can scarcely be said to have enjoyed the
benefit of a regular ministry, from that time to the
present.

The Rev. H. Applegate was appointed to it in
1837 ; he went, and having made the necessary
arrangements, set off to fetch Mrs. Applegate, who
was on the Neilgherries, but, alas I never returned
to enter on the work, to which they had both looked
forward with so much hope and zeal. He was
taken ill while on the hills, and died.

Again was the Mission destitute, and still did it
remain without a pastor to feed the little flock, or
an evangelist to gather more into the fold, till 1839,
when the Rev. W. F. Rogers was stationed there,
with Mr. Taylor, an European catechist, to assist
him. He entered on his work with energy and
ardour; but before he could have made himself
master even of the language, he was, to the grief
of all, attacked with an illness, which has brought
him back to England.

Surely the great Head of the Church must have
intended to teach us some special lesson by these
successive bereavements. Perhaps it may have
been to show us that, although He generally
honours His servants by making them His husbands-
men, yet that He does not need their help ; for
even here, where there has been so little human

dbyGoogk

118 IfAYAYBRAX MISSION.

culture, has He brought forth fruit, to His own
glory.

He has graciously refreshed us with the sight of
some of this, and may we not hope that He has
also gathered some hidden ones to Himself, of whom
we shall know nothing till that day, when He shall
^* come to be glorified in His saints, and admired in
all them that believe."

But before I mention any particular instances of
this kind, I shall give you a slight sketch of Mr.
Barenbruck's labours in this station. Wheti he was
first appointed, he had great difficulty in completing
the purchase of a piece of ground for the Mission
premises. At last he succeeded, and before the end
of 1825, the house was built, and he was settled in
it with his family. Here he was encouraged and
cheered by a visit he received from Bishop Heber,
a few days only before that prelate's lamented
death ; and here, as I have told you, he laboured
with zeal and energy in his Master's service for
nearly five years.

He had, besides John Dewasagayam (who was
then his head catecMst, and is now an ordained
clerg3rman), Cornelius, Stephen, Dewaperasadam,
Sinappen, and three or four others as catechists, in
the town or neighbouring villages, over all of whom
he exercised a watchful care. There were thirty
schools connected with the Mission, containing from

dbyGoogk

BBT. T. BABENBBUCK. 119

1,500 to 1,600 scholars, a few of whom were the
children of native Christians ; but the rest were
heathen, chiefly Soodras, with some Bramins.

By degrees the number of communicants
amounted to twenty-four, and he had between
twenty and thirty boys in the seminary within the
compound. He spoke of these youths as being all
of them blameless in their conduct, and he hoped
that a few of them were under the teaching of the
Holy Spirit. The elder ones he trained to future
usefulness, by sending them out occasionally to
distribute tracts, and to hold conversations with
the people round.

For a littie while the Rev. P. P. Scha£fter was
associated with him in his work ; and in their
rides, in their walks, or sitting in their houses, as
well as in their stated ministrations, they abundantly
scattered the seeds of Divine Truth, At one time,
riding along the bed of the Cavery, and seeing a
Bramiif performing poojah* by the side of a little
pool he had dug to preserve some of the sacred
water during the dry season, they stopped and
endeavoured to lead him to seek the Water of Life.
At other times they received visits from some of the
learned heathen, and spoke to them the words of
eternal salvation, while a day seldom passed without
some of the people, in their way to their daily-
• Worship.

dbyGoogk

120 REV. T. BABENBBUOK.

ablutions in the Cavery, turning in to the little
chapel, and listening attentively to the morning
worship. Very frequently too did the day-school,
which was near the Bramins' street, receive visits
from some of the inhabitants, curious to know what
instruction the children were receiving ; and several
of these occasional listeners afterwards received the
truths of Christianity, and were baptized.

Mr. Barenbruck and his catechists made also
frequent excursions into the neighbourhood, either
to visit some Christian family, or to examine the
schools, or to take the opportunity of some feast or
some ceremony to declare the Gospel to the people
assembled there.

Sometimes it was a fire-feast, where a multitude
would be collected on a large plain, with the idol
on a chariot surrounded by armed men, to witness
the devotees, who, having for the seventeen pre-
vious days, submitted to abstinence and various
ceremonies, now repaired to the appointed spot
crowned with flowers, their bodies covered with
cow-dung, and marked with yellow stripes, to
astonish the credulous spectators by walking over
hot ashes and burning charcoal, spread upon the
ground, sometimes to the extent of forty feet !

Sometimes they would attend the heartless scene
of a heathen funeral, where every natural emotion
was restrained, lest the soul of the departed

dbyGoogk

REV. T. BAREKBBUCK. 121

friend should be injured by the grief qf the

survivors

But the most favourable opportunities were at
the drawing of the Idol Cars. There is scarcely
a large village in this part of the country, in which
this ceremony does not take place, once or twice in
the year ; and the number of those who attend, is
in proportion to the supposed sanctity of the place.
There is a feast of this kind held at Combaconum,
once only in twelve years, and at its last celebra-
tion, not less than the scarcely credible number of
fifty-seven thottsand men were employed in dragging
the various cars, (that of Vishnoo alone requiring
twelve thousand,) while a still greater number of
men, women, and children, were assembled as
spectators.

The concourse at the Mayaveram festivals is not
so large as this ; but as the chief pagoda is held
in great repute, it is an immense multitude that is
collected even here ; and I have often been surprised
to hear of the hundreds, and even thousands, that
would gather round the Missionaries, and of the
attention with which they have listened to them.
It is quite touching to hear of the number of hands
stretched out for tracts or books, and of the eager
or rather impetuous demand for them ; some repeat-
ing aloud passages they had learnt by heart, from
those they already had — some begging for portions

dbyGoogk

122 BfiV. T. BAJEtENBBUCK.

of Scripture, because they were larger than the
tracts.

And though most of this at present appears to
be like seed fallen on the way-side, we know who
has declared that His word shall not return unto
Him void ; it belongs to us to sow, and rests with
Him to bring forth the fruit ; and who shall say
how far His providence may waft the smallest seed,
or in what distant place it may yet spring up, and
yield an hundredfold ?

Mr. Barenbruck was much esteemed and re-
spected, even by the heathen ; and on one occasion
was invited to the celebration of several marriages,
for the express purpose of the union receiving a
blessing from him. He could not, however, per-
suade them to send their daughters to school ; and
though Mrs. Winckler was afterwards able to do
something towards female education, it has not
succeeded at Mayaveram, in the same degree as at
some other places* ^

But Mrs. Barenbruck was very active among
the women; and several of those connected with
the Mission, gave evidence of having received the
truth as it is in Jesus. Besides the wife of
Dewaperasadam, Johanna, and Christina, the wife
and mother of Stephen, and two or three others,
whose names I do not know, there was also one,
whom I must particularly notice, — Gnanamuttoo,

dbyGoogk

BEY. T. BABEKBRUCK. 123

the first wife of the Rev. John Dewasagajam. Not
only earnest to serve the Lord herself, but t6 lead
others to know Him also, she was unwearied in
her visits to the women near her, exhorting them,
reading to them, or praying with them, as occasion
might require. Her health however declined, and
she was taken to Tranquebar, her native place,
where her illness did not prevent her from still
endeavouring to promote the spiritual benefit of
others. As long as her strength permitted it,
sh^ would read to those friends who visited her,
whether Christian or heathen, passages from the
Bible, or sometimes parts of Pilgrim's Progress,
or some other favourite human writer — ^never fail-
ing to press upon them the importance of the
subject. She did not long survive, but died in
peace, leaving her husband greatly comforted under
his affliction, by the testimony she gave of entire
a^d calm reliance on her Saviour, and on Him
alone.

Thus fair and full of promise was the Mission at
Mayaveram in 1830; but God hid his face, and
we were troubled. The burstinjg of a blood-vessel
obliged Mr. Barenbruck to retire first to the sea
coast at Negapatam, then to the Neilgherries, and
at last to G-ermany.

He did not forget his beloved flock even there,
but during the remainder of his life kept up an

dbyGoogk

124 REV. T. BARENBRUCK.

affectionate correspondence with them through the
catechists ; while they, in their turn, still speak of
him with gratitude and love, and the pretty arbour
he planted in the garden, is, to this day, called by
them, "Mr. Barenbruck's meditation place."

Low as this Mission has been brought, it yet
exists ; though "cast down," it is "not destroyed ;"
and if the Holy Spirit is pleased to move the hearts
of the few who remain there of his faithful servants
to cry, in the words of the eightieth Psalm, (the
whole of which is so applicable to their stq^e,)
" Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts, cause Thy
face to shine, and we shall be saved ;" we must
not doubt but that their prayer will be heard and
answered.*

Mr. Barenbruck's successors, Mr. Winckler, Mr.
Schmid, and Mr. Rogers, during the short time
they were permitted to labour there, pursued the
same course as he had done ; but I have dwelt
almost exclusively on Mr. Barenbruck, partly
because he was there so much longer than they
were, and partly because, as he is gone to his rest
and his works do follow him, I thought it a good
opportunity of giving you a specimen of the life
and usefulness of a devoted Missionary.

• Mayaveram is now in the charge of a German Mis-
sionary, who is industriously cultivating this interesting
field.

dbyGoogk

BEY. T. BAREKBRUCK. 125

Before I conclude this letter, I will relate a little
anecdote, which, though it occurred at Tranquebar,
yet, as it was connected with Mr. Barenbruck, will
not be quite out of place. Mr. Barenbruck had
sent an old man, a school assistant of the name of
Sandappen, to a distant village to visit some newly-
baptized converts. While there he was taken ill,
and being persuaded that he should not recover, he
was very anxious to return home. But this was no
easy matter, he was become so weak as to be
unable to walk, and no conveyance could be pro-
cured. In this diflBiculty, the people determined to
carry him back on their shoulders, and set out
accordingly ; but the heavy rains that were falling,
and the helpless state of Sandappen, made the
journey so fatiguing, that when they had proceeded
some way they became quite exhausted. They
made another attempt to procure some conveyance
for him, but finding that this would occasion loss
of time, they again took up the old man, and in
five days completed their fatiguing journey. The
distance was not less than thirty-five miles, and
the skin of their shoulders was rubbed off by the
weight.

Finding that he was likely to live but a short
time, and that they should never see him again,
they took leave of him with tears, saying, ^< Alas !
we have now no schoolmaster to come and teach us

dbyGoogk

126 BET. T. BABENBBUCK.

the Word of God." The poor old man died in peace
a few days after.

In mj next I will return to Mayaveram, and in
the meantime,

Believe me,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

STEPHEN, CATECHIST. 127

LETTER XIV.

My beab Luct,
After the departure of Mr. Baxenbruck from
Majaveramy as related in my last letter, the Mission
was placed under the care of the head catechist,
John Dewasagayam, but did not continue long
under his superintendence, for having received
ordination from Bishop Turner,* he was soon after
appointed to a station in Tinnevelly. When Mr.
Winckler's return to Europe again left it desolate,
it was given into the charge of Cornelius and six
or seven other catechists, and was thus situated
when visited by Mr. Tucker, in 1834.

As it was considered that some of these catechists
would be employed to more advantage in other
stations, it was, in the following year, arranged that
only Dewaperasadam and two or three others should
remain at Mayaveram to keep the Mission together
till more effectual help could be found, and that
while Sinappen and another should go to Tinnevelly,
Cornelius and Stephen should remove to Madras.

* The Rev. John Dewasagayam is the first native
clergyman of the Church of England in South India.

dbyGoogk

128 STEPHEN, CATECHIST.

Sinappen has since died in the faith, but a son of
his is among those of whom I told you as living
at the Church Mission Institution, and receiving
education at the Grammar-school ; and I see his
name among those to whom prizes were awarded at
the last half-yearly examination.

Cornelius is still at Madras, going on steadily and
faithfully, two of his sons are at the Grammar-
school, and one of them also obtained one of the
last prizes.

Stephen was taken ill before he could leave
Mayaveram, and finding himself getting worse,
begged to be removed for change of air to Comba-
conum. Here he was most kindly received and
attended to by Mr. Nimmo, of the London Mis-
sionary Society, but no human care or skill could
avail, and he died in a few weeks. Mr. Nimmo
bears the following testimony to him in a letter to
Mr. Tucker, in which, after mentioning the circum-
stances of his illness and death, he says, '^I cannot
conclude this without thankfully adding that he
did, indeed, end his course most happily. During
his stay here, I and my catechists, saw much of
him, and were edified by his pious and heavenly
conversation. He was full of the Scriptures, and
applied them to his own case in a very appropriate
manner. There was not the slightest symptom of
fear about him, and he appeared divested of all

dbyGoogk

STEPHEN, CATBCHI8T, 129

worldly cares. He told his wife, <Weep not for
me,' and when his aunt told him that his son was
weeping, he simply said, * The Lord will provide
for him.' Though sensible to the last, he was,
through extreme weakness, incapable of saying
much. Thus ended the life of one of the humblest
servants of our Lord."

I shall, however, avail myself of a little account
drawn up by the Rev. Johp Dewasagayam, to give
you more particulars of Stephen's life, in which we
may trace the work of Divine grace more in detail
than we often have the opportunity of doing.

His parents were high-caste natives of Tranque-
bar, but probably died when he was young, as he
was brought up by his aunt, a bigoted heatheui
By her mei^is he received a good native education
in a heathen school, where, doubtless, he had made
many an offering of rice and flowers to Ganesa.

Being intimate with the master of one of our
schools in Tranquebar, he frequently visited it, and
was observed to be particularly attentive whenever
the Holy Scriptures was explained to the children.

He was afterwards employed to assist in another
school ; and when Mr. Barenbruck removed to
Mayaveram, he gladly accepted his proposal to
accompany him.

At this time he was married^ but had no family ;
and his aunt, who was very anxious on the subject.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

130- STEPHEN, CATSCHIST.

made many vows and offerings to their idols to pro-
cure the wished-for blessing ; but these proving
fruitless, she consulted Samuel, an aged native
catechist at Tranquebar (who had formerly been a
pupil of Schwartz's), who advised her to apply to
the God of the Christians, praying himself wi^ her
to this effect. About the same time it would seem
that Stephen himself made a vow, that if God
would send him a child, he would give himself to
Him as the true God.

It pleased God to hear these prayers, and to
grant them the desire of their hearts, and this adds
another to those instances of which we frequently
hear in South India, in which God appears to deal
with His infant Church there, as He did with Israel
of old, removing the doubts of the sincere inquirer,
and strengthening the faith of the weak believer by
some visible sign. But though Stephen's heart
was touched, his aunVs was, as yet, unmoved by
this instance of God's goodness.

Old Samuel did not live to see the answer to his
prayer — ^he died before the birth of the child, full of
joy in the anticipation of seeing that Saviour whom
he had long served, and whom he felt to be near
him even in the valley of the shadow of death.

But the rest of Stephen's history I will give you
in the Bev. John Dewasagayam's own words : —

"When we were at Mayaveram, Stephen dis-

dbyGoogk

STEPHEN, CATECHISt. 13 1

covered more boldness and pleasure in reading and
speaking from our Scripture to the heathen around.
Mr. Barenbruck and myself had a good opinion of
him, and we spoke to him frequently about public
confession of his faith in Jesus. He did not make
us any promise ; but I trust he greatly sought the
strength of the Lord for it. Once I visited a sick
man in his street, about nine o'clock in the night,
and went unexpectedly to his house by, and was
greatly pleased and surprised to see him instructing
his wife, as also that she was able herself to read
the Scripture. I asked him afterwards Why he did
not communicate to me such pleasing news long ago.
He answered, that as it was his purpose to renounce
heathenism publicly, he thought it his duty to pre-
pare also the mind of his wife for it ; and we were
happy to find she was sincerely desirous to follow
her good husband. But his aunt appeared quite
confused to hear of it afterwards. My late wife also
had frequent conversations with them, and gave me
pleasing accounts of the willingness of Stephen's
wife to follow her husband ; but the old woman was
restless. Stephen's relations at Tranquebar came to
know of his resolution, and made a great stir about
it. They wrote to him some passionate letters,
and threatened to beat him cruelly if he came a
Christian to Tranquebar. They persecuted his
father-in-law, mother-in-law, and their children.
K 2

Digitized by VjOOQIC

132 STEPHENy CATECHI8T*

His father and mother-in-law came frequently to
Mayaveram with great sorrow and weeping, and
did all they could to discourage him. He was
much distressed to see the great opposition, but
did not suffer himself to be discouraged. The day
of his baptism was fixed for Easter-day, April
19th, 1829. He came to the service about half an
hour later thaii the appointed time, with his son.
The reason was, that his aunt particularly con-
cealed the little boy, as the father wanted to have
him baptized at the same time. He was named
Samuel, *^ asked of the Lord," 1 Sam. i. 20, and
also in grateful remembrance of the old catechist,
Samuel. It was a day of great sorrow and tears to
the old woman ; she left the house saying that he
lost caste, and she was absent a few days, but the
love she bore to her grandson brought her back» I
remember her requesting her daughter-in-law with
tears not to follow her husband, and so make the
whole house polluted. But the Lord disposed the
whole piatter most m^dfuUy and wonderfully ;
Stephen soon left the heathen street, and came to
live within our compound. His wife improved the
favourable opportunity. Before her baptism, she
discx)vered also a great desire to have the Friday
prayer-meeting ibr women kept at her house
ultemately, and Mr. Barenbruck had the great
satisfaction to administer to her the blessed rite of

dbyGoogk

STEPHEN, CATECHIST. 133

baptism, A day before he left India, from his sick
bed.

"The old woman was present, but I observed
her in tears. The next week I was surprised to see
her coming to our church. Great was also my joy
to see her very soon embracing Jesus as her only
Saviour and comfort, and lead a truly Christian life.
With my own eyes I observed with what delight
she walked as an evangelical messenger from one
house to another in the compound on the day of
prayer, inviting them to attend at her house. I will
only mention here one instance of the good old
woman. After the Bev. Mr. Winckler's arrival at
Mayaveram, he examined the candidates for bap-*
tism, who were under my instruction previously.
The day of baptism was fixed, and the candidates
appeared very desirous to have fine names chosen
for them. The good old woman came to my wife
as usual, when she asked her, ^Atchy, have you
chosen a name for yourself?' She answered,
'Magaley, daughter, why I ought to be called Eley
pavy,* (poor sinner). We then chose her present
name, Christina. I need not say that Stephen was
a man of prayer. This great privilege he exercised
with peculiar blessing upon his own wife and aunt.
I will only say, that I observed in him a truly
Christian character, finding daily on the word of

dbyGoogk

134 STEPHEN, GATECHIST.

life, and communicatiiig it to his fellow-sinners, with
love, humilitj, and zeal as a Christian reader and
catechist. His enraged relations, who saw in him
a sincere professor of our religion, and who observed
his patience in bearing their blasphemy and insults,
left him sooner than we expected to his own way,
I reflect on the interesting Christian conversations
I had with him, especiallyln the morning hours ;
from seven to eight, before morning prayers, I
spent with him and with other Mission native
labourers in reading to them from English religious
publications. I knew he had made up his mind to
labour hard and zealously too in the discharge of his
duty as he ought. He continued to correspond
with me after I left Mayaveram. Being fully aware
of his speedy dissolution, he was desirous to see
his Saviour face to face, and appeared well assured
that his dear wife and mother, and his only son,
will not be forsaken by his heavenly Father. He
has, however, recommended them to my care, as
myself and family have taken a particular interest
in their welfare."

This little history, coming as it does from the
pen of a long-tried and faithful servant of God,
needs no confirmation from other sources ; but if
it did, I might corroborate it by the testim<my
borne to Stephen's simplicity and Christian con*

dbyGoogk

STEPHEN, CATECHI8T. 135

aistencjy bj one of my own family. To my own
mind it deriyes an additional interest from the
manner in which it is related, and the incidental
insight it gives into some of the details of mis-
sionary proceedings.

Long as this letter is, I cannot close it without
giving you the following translation of some pas-
sages from one of Stephen's letters, written a few
weeks before his death to the same faithful friend
and counsellor.*

*^ I send you this letter from a very distressful
Bick bed. Agreeably to the arrangements which
the Key. Mr. Tucker has made about Mayaveram
Mission, he requested Sir Montgomery, the sub-
collector, who has kindly lent his aid to look after
this Mission during the absence of a Missionary,
to send Cornelius cateohist, and myself to Madras.
I was very desirous to go there, not only to do the
service of the Lord, but hoped also to derive a
great benefit to my son, Samuel Asirvadem, but
the Lord appears willing to try and purify me^

* The writer has before her also an original note of
Stephen's to Mr. Tucker, to thank him for some books he
had sent him. It is written in English, and breathes a
spirit of sincere gratitude for the spiritual privileges he
enjoyed.

dbyGoogk

136 STEPHEN, CATECHISX.

The Lord has visited me with his affectionate rod.
I take very little food, and I have no strength.
However, my Lord Jesus Christ strengthens my
soul and body every day, and visits me kindly,
and comforts me by His Spirit ; assuring me that
although I was a great and weak sinner, His
righteousness and grace are sufSicient for me. He
tells me, as he told his disciples in the sea, ^ It is I,
be not afraid.' In my present happy state, my
friends the catechists read to me> agreeably to my
desire, the Sermons on the Passion of our Saviour,
and pray with and for me. Death and life in my
Lord Jesus are happy things to me. Sir M ■ -
was so kind to write to Mr. Tucker about my being
very ill. Mr. Tucker wrote me a comforting letter,
stating that our Lord Jesus Christ is desirous to
purify me more and more, and directing also
Dewaperasadam, catechist, to assist me. It is thus
also the Lord increases the peace of my soul and
body, through His faithful servants. I don't inform
you this for pride, but I consider it my filial duty
to inform you with a broken heart, like Hannah."
After speaking o^ Sir Henry Montgomery's and
Mr. Nimmo's kindness to him, he adds, ^' I wrote
to you some time ago a letter, in which I used
several murmuring expressions, owing to my suf-
ferings ; I beg you to pardon them.''

dbyGoogk

STB^HEK, CATECHI8T. 137

" With my own, my mother, wife, and son's best
regards to you and your family,

" I remain, your faithful servant.

" Stephbn."*

Is not this a touching letter ? and it is the more
interesting, as being written from one native to
another; for they naturally write more freely to
their own people than to an European.

I will only add, that Stephen's old aunt (or, as
she is often called, his mother), is still at Maya-
▼eram, and maintains her Christian character* She
is partly indebted for her support to friends in
England. His wife Johanna went for a little while
to Palamcottah, where she engaged in teaching some
of the children connected with the Mission. She
afterwards came to Madras, and is employed in the
Church Missionary Institution ; while Samuel, the
child of so many prayers, has a small native school
at Madras* He is steady and well-conducted ; and
we trust the earnest prayers of his pious father will
yet be fully answered.
I remiun,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* This translation is by the Rev. John Dewasagayam.

dbyGoogk

138 OHEDUMBRUM.

LETTER XV.

Mt dear I^uct,
The more I know of the Mission at Mayaveram,
whether from published accounts, or from the
information of private friends, the more do I find
in it to excite the interest, and call forth the prayers,
of the people of God ; so much is there on the one
hand to dishearten and disappoint ; and on the
other, so much cause is there for gratitude and
encouragement. Oft^> when the hopes of the
Missionary have been raised, by the willingness to
listen, and the apparent interest shown by some of
his hearers, has he been cast down by finding they
were infiuenced by curiosity, or by the expectation
of some temporal advantage. Frequently, too, has
he been practically taught how far the intellect may
be enlightened by human reasoning and instruction,
while the heart remains untouched, because the
Spirit of Grod has not breathed upon it.

Mr. Barenbruck mentions, among others, one

dbyGoogk

CHEDUMBBUM. 139

particularly interesting conversatipny which he once
had with three or four Bramins, who came to visit
him from a distance; and though the account is too
long to relate in detail, I must just give you the
outline of it. They had by some means acquired
a considerable knowledge of Scripture — ^they had a
vague idea of the only way of salvation — speaking
of some great High Priest, who was ta make an
atonement for sin — and they appeared sincerely
desirous of being taught the whole truth. They
even went so far as to visit all the heathen festivals
within their reach, for the express purpose of
endeavouring to draw the people away from their
false deities, and to lead them to the one true God.

Hopeful, however, as all this seemed, their hearts
were too much entangled with the " wisdom of the
world," fully to receive " Christ crucified;" they
could not make up their minds to take the decisive
step of receiving baptism ; nor could Mr. Baren-
bruck prevail on them even to remove the. badges
of Siva or Yishnoo from their foreheads.

But indeed, in this Christian land, we can form
but little idea of the sacrifice that must be made,
nor of the degree of grace it requires for a high*
caste man to be willing to be baptized. Not only
is he despised, but entirely discarded by his rela-
tions ; his former friends will not eat with him, nor

dbyGoogk

140 CHBDUMBRUM.

enter his house, nor take a cup of water from his
hands ; while his wife, unless her mind has been
also changed, is taken from him, and his children
are taught to treat him with contempt. Can we
then wonder that many stop short at this fiery trial
of their faith ?

But though Majaveram, like other stations, has
much that is dark and gloomy, yet there is also in
its history many a gleam of light that bids us look
beyond the cloud, and to walk more by ^Eiith, and
less by sight.

Yisuvasanaden, instead of resuming the saffiron
robe, of which he was once so proud, and which
told of the zeal that had carried his wearied feet in
pilgrimage to Benares, has, we trust, put on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Only one instance has occurred,
of any convert returning to heathenism ; and
children who were removed by their parents from
our schools, because they sometimes in their sleep
repeated the sacred truths they had imbibed during
the day, were, at their own earnest entreaty, '
allowed 'to return, and drink still deeper of the
fountain of heavenly wisdom. The examinations of
the different schools were also often very satisfac*
tory, particularly of one, of whose master I will
give you a little account, and then close mv history
of Mayaveram.

dbyGoogk

CHEDUMBBUMr 141

Chedumbrum was a high-caste man, of the
village of Yalangaman, superstitiouslj attached
to the foFins of his religion, till having become
in some waj connected with the Mission, he was
gradually led to search into the truths so con-
tinually brought before him. On account of the
great want there has been of Christian teachers, it
has sometimes been found necessary to place the
heathen children who are desirous of instruction,
under the care of heathen masters of respectable
character, provision being made that nothing but
the Bible, and other Christian books, should be read
in the school.

It was in this way, that in 1831, just before his
departure for Tinnevelly, the Rev. John Dewas-
agayam appointed Chedumbrum to the charge of
the school at Yalangaman, where the interest evi-
dently excited in his mind by the truths it was his
office to teach, led Dewaperasadam and the other
catechists, to hope that a work of grace was com-
mencing in his heart. They observed, that by
degrees he began to leave off some of his heathen
customs, the ashes no longer appeared on his fore-
head, he was seldom to be seen at an idolatrous
festival, and seemed to attach no spiritual value to
the waters of the Cdvery,

His relations became uneasy, but nothing occurred

dbyGoogk

142 CHEBUMBBUM.

to confirm their suspicions, till one day, when he
told his wife to fetch the rice as usual for his
breakfast ; she refused, reminding him that it was
the day of a particular fast. He then asked his
aunt to get it for him, but she became very angry,
and left the house, to which she could never be
persuaded to return. This did not, however, move
him from his purpose, and fetching the rice him-
self, he ate it, to the surprise and consternation of
his whole family.

The opposition he in consequence experienced
from them, led him to search more diligently into
the Scriptures ; and, encouraged and assisted by
his friend Dewaperasadam, he, by degrees, ventured
to read and explain the Bible to his heathen neigh-
bours and relations, and to have family prayer in
his own house. He had been from the first, active
and diligent in his office of schoolmaster, but now
he entered on his work with higher motives, and a
nobler aim. Anxious to impart to the children the
knowledge of salvation, he, of his own accord,
opened and closed the day with prayer, and on
Sundays would collect the children together, and in
the absence of other means of grace, would read to
them the service of our Church, and instruct them
in the word of God. Strange as it may seem, this
zeal gave no offence to the heathen parents ; on

dbyGoogk

CHEDUMBBUM. 143

the contrary, the school increased so much, that
the private schools in the place were gradually
given up.

But all this time, Chedumbrum continued un-
baptized ; his Christian friends often spoke to him
on the subject, but the difficulties he knew it would
occasion in his family, induced him to delay it. For
two years he continued thus, doubtless not without
many internal struggles, till in 1839, he was taken
ill, and was again earnestly entreated by Yisuvasa-
naden, the assistant catechist, who happened to be
visiting the schools at Yalangamaii, and the neigh-
bourhood, no longer to defer it.

Chedumbrum assured his friend of the anxiety he
had long felt upon the subject, and as there was no
Missionary at Mayaveram, and he was too ill to be
removed, begged of him to go to Combaconum, to
request the Rev. Mr. Coombes, of the Society for
Propagating the Grospel, to come over and baptize
him. Unhappily, Mr. Coombes was away from
home, and all that Yisuvasanaden could do for him,
was to exhort him earnestly to confide in the pre-
cious blood of Christ, and in that alone. He then
prayed with him, and returned to Mayaveram.

After this, Chedumbrum got better, and in a few
days thought himself well enough to resume his
labours at the school. But he seems to have had a

dbyGoogk

144 CHEDUMBRUK.

presentiment of his approaching death ; for, on the
very first day that he did so, instead of returning
home to supper at the usual time, he went from
house to house, to make peace with those friends
whom his religious sentiments had alienated from
him.

After supper, he felt a return of his former
complaint, and being persuaded that his end was
approaching, he immediately assembled his family
for prayer; and telling his wife how deejdy he
repented of having yielded to her in delaying to
be baptized, entreated her to embrace the truth
without delay. He then prevailed on her, and the
other friends who had gathered round him, to
promise that his remains should be buried, and
not burned. His wife then asked him if he had
any other advice to give, to which he answered,
" Trust in the Lord, He will bless and keep you,"
and in a few minutes breathed his last.

When we consider how long this Station has
been without a Missionary ; and how rarely, for
several years, it has been blessed with the means
of grace, surely this little history giv^ us cause
to hope that many may be found in the great day,
of whom the Church knows but little, but whom
the Lord has secretly nourished by His Holy Spirit,
and brought to His rest with very scanty means ;

dbyGoogk

CONCLUSION. 145

hiding from His servants the fruit of their labours,
till they shall be able to rejoice in it, without
danger to their own souls.

Dewaperasadam, writing of Chedumbrum, says,
" We have indeed lost . an active, diligent, and
faithful labourer. He was not added to the Church
of Christ through baptism, but we can safely say
he lived and died a Christian. May the Lord
console his poor and distressed family, and bring
them soon to the knowledge of His Son Jesus
Christ."

But it is time that I laid aside my pen for the
present, though I hope I may be able before long
to give you a little sketch of Missionary work in
Tinnevelly and on the coast of Malabar, including
some particulars of the Native Female Schools.
And, praised be Grod, both these Missions present
a very different picture from those of Madras and
Mayaveram. They have been permitted to enjoy
a constant succession of Missionaries, whose labours
have^ been blessed with a large and increasing
harvest.

I will not, however, anticipate. I will only,
before I conclude, beg of you to take a map of
India, and, marking the stations occupied by our
Church, whether in connexion with the Church
Missionary Society or the Society for Propagating

dbyGoogk

146 CONCLUSION.

the Gospel, compare them with the immense and
thickly-peopled tracts of country into which we
have not even attempted to diffuse the light of
salvation.

O ! that England might be awakened to a sense
of her privileges and her responsibility, in thus
having, as it were, committed to her charge, not
less than 140 millions of immortal souls; and that
our own beloved Church would arise and shine,
and carry out the pure light of life to our Gentile
fellow-subjects, who are still sitting in darkness and
the shadow of death.

But, my dear Lucy, let us not forget that the
nation and the Church are composed of individtuilsy
and that both you and I are among the number of
those to whom this blessed work is, in different
degrees, entrusted. What, then, have toe done, and
what can we do, towards this glorious object ? Let
us remember that however small our influence may
be, or however limited our means, yet, if with
earnest prayer and persevering, self-denying effort,
we make use of even one talent in our Master's
service, we know not how far He may be pleased
to bless the exertions of the youngest or the
meanest of His servants. One thing we know
assuredly — that He will not forget any work of
faith, or labour of love, or patience of hope, which

dbyGoogk

CONCLUSION. 147

we have endured for His name's sake. "In the
morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold
not thine hand : for thou knowest not whether shall
prosper, either this or that, or whether they both
shall be alike good.'* *

Adieu, dear Lucy,

Believe me,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* Eccles. xi. 6.

Macintosh, Printer, Great New-»treet, London.

dbyGoOgk

dbyGoogk

SOUTH INDIAN

MISSIONARY SKETCHES ;

00NTAIVZK4}

A SHORT ACCOUNT

OF THB

MISSIONARY STATIONS,

OOXVBOTBO WITH THB

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN SOUTHERN INDIA,

Iir I.BTTBBB TO ▲ T0U2IG FRIBBD.

By S. T.

PART II.

TINNBVELLY, TRAVANOOBE, ETC.

KATIVB LBTTBB.

THB PROFITS WILL BB APPKOPBIATBO TO KATIVI
FBVALB BDUOATIOK.

LONDON:
JAMES NISBET AND CO., 21, BERNERS STREET.

MDCCCXLIII.

dbyGoogk

PREFACE.

The writer of the South Indian Sketches begs
to apologize to her friends for the time that has
elapsed between the publication of the first and
second parts. But she can scarcely regret the
delay, as it has given time for nearly the whole
of the present portion to pass under the eye of
one who has the best means of judging of its
correctness, and from whom so much of her pre-
vious information was received.

She cannot omit this opportunity of expressing
her gratitude to those friends, whose kindness
procured so extended a circulation of the former
part, and she now sends forth the remainder with
the hope and prayer, that He who accepts,
''according to what a man hath, and not
according to what he hath not,^ will again
vouchsafe His blessing.

Southhonmgh^ Jwne^ 184<3.

dbyGoogk

CONTENTS.

PAOi:.

LETTER I.

CONTINITATION OF JOUBNBY. — PAGODAS. — TAN-

JORB. . . • . . • 1

LETTER IL

TBICHINOPOLT. NAWAXIB OF KURNOOL. . 14

LETTER III

MADURA. — NORTH OF TINNBVELLY. — PAVA-

NASAM. , i » . * . 24

LETTER IV.

SOUTH-BAST OF TINNBVELLY. — PALMYRAS. — SHA-

NARS. 34

LETTER V.

BRAMINS. — MARA VERS. — RELIGION OF MADURA

AND TINNBVELLY. .^ . . .46

LETTER VI.

ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSION. — DISTRICTS. — STREE-

VASAGOONDUM. ... * . 58

LETTER VIL

PRESENT STATE. — ^PERSECUTIONS. * • .72

LETTER VIIL

VISIT TO A DISTANT VILLAGE. . * * 81

dbyGoOgk

VI CONTENTS.

PAGE.

LETTER IX.

KADATOHAPXJEAM. — ^LOCAL SOCIETIES. . 90

LETTER X.

boys' schools. — SATTIANADBN. . . . 100

LETTER XI.

NORTHERN DISTRICT. ' 112

LETTER XIL

PILGRIM SOCIETY.-— OUMBUM. ' . ' . . 122

LETTER XIII.

FEMALE EDUCATION. •— SCHOOL IN MISSIONARY

COMPOUND. 131

LETTER XIV,

FEMALE DAY SCHOOLS. — ^MEANS OF SUPPORT. . 145

LETTER XV.

TRAVANCORB. — ^TRIVANDRUM 154

LETTER XVI.

SYRIAN CHRISTIANS OF MALABAR. . .167

. LETTER XVIL

BACKWATER. — ALLEPIB. — OOTTAYAM. .180

LETTER XVin.

MAVELICARB, — CORNELIUS. — MALAPALI. . .197

LETTER XIX.

COCHIN. — TRICHOOR. CURIATHA. . . .212

LETJER XX.

MASULIPATAM. — CONCLUSION. . - . *. . 223

dbyGoOgk

SOUTH INDIAN
MISSIONARY SKETCHES.

LETTEE I.

At length, my dear Lucy, I will invite you to resume
with me our long suspended journey, and getting
again into our Palanquins with our "bearers,'*
" Massalchee," and " C^vady coolie" as before, we will
leave the pleasant station of Mayaveram and proceed
towards the still distant province of Tinnevelly.

We are now in Tanjore, and the Delta, through
which we are passing, is the most fertile part of the
province. It is a flat plain, abundantly watered by
the Cavery and its numerous branches, and yielding
the most luxuriant crops of rice. No human habi-
tation is to be discerned amid " the waving sea of
green" aroimd us, for the little villages lie hidden,
each in the embosoming shade of its friendly tope.

dbyGoogk

2 LETTEB I.

and only a heavy goprum occasionally lifi^s its head
still to remind us we are in a heathen land."*^

The natural advantages of the Delta of Tanjore
have been very greatly improved by the art and
industry of its inhabitants. t AnnicutsX have, in
several cases, been built across the rivers to prevent
their pouring down their torrents in fruitless waste
into the sea ; embankments riveted with stone, and
two thousand miles in length, confine the various
streams within their proper limits, and the artificial
dhannels that convey the water to the paddy grounds
have been calculated as measuring not less than
twenty thousand miles. All these works show a skill
and labour the more remarkable as they must have
been carried on in the midst of continued wars, and
when the plundering incursions of the Mahrattas
must have made the expected harvests very insecure.

Kyou, my dear Lucy, know as little of the internal
state of India as I have done till lately, you will have
the same confused aiid incorrect idea of an Indian

♦ The Rev. J. Tucker has often spoken of the compa-
rative dreariness of the views, arising from the want of
village spires and steeples.

f The fertility of the Delta may be judged of from the
fact, that though not quite twice as large as the county of
Kent, it contains a million of inhabitants who pay without
difficulty an annual revenue to government of five lacs of
rupees (£60,000) which ,^according to the reiactive value of
grain, would in England be^ equal to £300,000.

t A kind of dam.

dbyGoOgk

JOUBNEY. 3

village as I used to have, and will take it for
granted that it is much like our own ; with a popu-
lation more or less fluctuating, and subject to no
other authority than the general laws of the land, or
the peculiar regulations of the district in which it is
situated.

But the villages in India are very different in
these respects from ours. They are all little separate
" republics, having everything they can want within
themselves, and almost independent of any foreign
relation. They seem to last where nothing else
lasts. Dynasty after dynasty tumbles down ; revo-
lution succeeds to revolution ; Hindoo, Fatan, Mogul,
Mahratta, Sik, English, are all masters in turn ; but
the village community remains the same. In times
of trouble they arm and fortify themselves ; an hostile
army passes through the country ; the village com-
munities collect their cattle within their walls, and
let the enemy pass unprovoked. If plunder and
devastation be directed against themselves, and the
force employed be irresistible, they flee to friendly
villages at a distance ; but when the storm has passed
over, they return and resume their occupations. If
a country remains for a series of years the scene of
continued pillage and massacre, so that the villages
eannot be inhabited, the scattered villagers, never-
theless, return when the poweB of peaceable possession
revives. A generation may pass away, but the suc-

B 2

dbyGoogk

4 LETTER I.

ceeding generation will return. The sons will take
the places of their fathers ; the same site for the
village, the same position for the houses, the same
lands will be re-occupied by the descendants of thos6
who were driven out when the village was depopu-
lated ; and it is not a trifling matter that will drive
them out, for they will often maintain their post
through times of disturbance and convulsion, and
acquire strength sufficient to resist pillage and
oppression with success. This union of the village
communities, each one forming a separate little state
in itself, has, I conceive, contributed more than any
other cause to the preservation of the people of
India, through all the revolutions and changes which
they have suffered, and is in a high degree conducive
to their happiness and to the enjoyment of a great
portion of freedom and independence." *

The boundaries of their lands are accurately defined
and jealously guarded under the superintendence of
the headman, who is the chief person in each village,
and whose business it is to make arrangements with
the government for the revenue — ^to apportion the
payment of it among the villagers — ^to let such lands
as have no fixed tenants — to settle disputes or refer
them to higher authorities, — ^and, in short, to per-

* See Elphinstone's India, vol. i. ; and the quotation
from Sir C. T. Metcalfe, in Report of Select Committee
of House of Commons, 1832.

dbyGoOgk

JOUENET. 5

fonn all the duties of a municipal governor. The
oflfice is hereditary, and he is the representative of
the head of the first family who settled in the village*
Sometimes there are several headmen, arising pro-
bably from more than one family having originally
settled in it. The headman is assisted by different
officers — ^the accountant — ^the watchman — the mo-
ney-changer — ^the priest — ^the astrologer (who is
sometimes the schoolmaster) — the smith — carpenter
' — ^barber — spotter — ^minstrel, &c., &c., all of whom are
part of the regular village establishment, and are. vc<.
supported by the community. They have existed 7
^and apparently unaltered) since the time of Menu.*.

There is in all the public works and institutions
of India, a character of largeness, whether in number,
size, or durability, to which we have no parallel
in our smaller and comparatively modem countries ;
and one might almost fancy that the height of the
mountains, the vastness of the forests, and the gran-
deur of the general scenery had, in times past, com-
municated their influence to the native mind.

Every village has its tanks, smaller or larger
according to circumstances, but always sufficient to
contain an ample supply of water for general use ;
and you may judge of the scale on which these works
are sometuxies carried on, when I tell you that in the
eollectorate of South Arcot, a considerable extent of
♦ Part 1. Letter III.

dbyGoogk

6 LETTBB t

country is watered by the tank^ or rather artificial
lake of Veeranum, twenty-five miles in circumference,
into which the waters of the Coleroon are con-
ducted.

England, too, might blush to compare the mis-
directed zeal of these poor idolaters with her own
lukewarmness in the service of her (Jod ; for no
village, however small, is without at least one Swamy
house, while the larger villages have several of these
inferior temples, besides generally two or three
pagodas.

In all the idol temples in Southern India, there
is one small dark room of a nearly cubical form, at
the farthest end of which the idol is placed ; and
opposite to it is a low door at which the worshipper
presents his offerings. Some of the " Swdmy houses^
(or small temples) consist of merely this room;
others have two or three additional rooms in front
of it ; but in the larger temples, called by us " Po-
godas^ this shrine is surrounded by halls, and
colonades, and courts, all enclosed by walls, and
sometimes covering a large extent of ground. The
pagoda at Seringham, near Trichinopoly, so well
known in the early history of Lord Olive, has seven
different enclosures, each surrounded by a wall,
having four gates with a goprum (or high towel*)
in the middle of each side, opposite to the four car-
dinal points. The outer wall, twenty-five feet in

dbyGoogk

PAOODIS/ 7

height^ is built of stones, thirty-two feet in lengthy
and runs ^ound a circuit of four miles.

The pagodas at Oonjereriiin are magnificent spe-
cimens of ari^— the roof of the hall in that at Little
Oonjey^m is supported bj a hundred pillars, And
that at Great Conjeyerkm by a thousand, . Some
of these columns are plain j but most of them are
richly carved in has relief, with figures of different
gods, or groups of animals and human beings. Some
of the pillars are cut into the shape of rases and
adorned with chains or wreaths of flowers, beau-
tifully wrought, and hanging gracefully and fx^ly
separate from the column, though carred jfrom the
same block.

The " Gopruim'' are peculiar to Southern India,
at least in their form — ^they are talj oblong pyra-
mids, composed of stages or steps ascending from each
of the four sides, till they end in a high narrow
ridge. The sides of these steps are often elaborately
carved, and the ridge is decorated with ornaments
like the crockets of Gothic architecture j and the
height and solidity of the whole structure often give
it an imposing appearance. These Goprums are
built over gateways, sometimes only at the' outer
entrance, sometimes (as at Seringham) between the
inner courts. At the famous pagoda at Chillumbrun
there are two in one of the inner courts that stand
detached from the rest of the buildings ; and it is a

dbyGoogk

$ I4ETTEB I.

remarkable circumstaDce (occurring I believe only
there) that the unoccupied space between the two is
considered as the most sacred part of the whole
temple, far more so even than the shrine. It seems
to be a lingering ray of the long lost truth that " God
is a Spirit."

The walls of a pagoda contain many other build-
ings besides those for ornament or for worship. The
dwellings of the officiating Bramins — Choultries,
sometimes very handsome, for the accommodation* of
pilgrims and devotees — Mandarums, or open build-
ings, in Yrhich the idol rests during its occasional
progresses round the temple^ are all to be found there,
besides a large tank, on which some of thesir religious
ceremonies are performed.

A curious appendage to some of the pagodas is a
tall stone pillar, erected near the most sacred spot,
with a square ornament suspended on it, almost like
an English harrow, with little bells (not used) hung
in the compartments ; it is always so placed as to
face the shrine. I have never met with any one
who could explain its meaning, but you will .see a
representation of it in the accompanying plate, which
also shows the form of the goprum, the tank, and the
general appearance of a pagoda.

dbyGoogk

TRICHINOPOLT. 11

We have been wandering among the pagodas till
we have almost forgotten our journey, and we must
hasten on to Tanjore itself, the capital of the pro-
vince.

As you approach the town your memory will
turn to one whose name has been associated with
your earliest feelings of interest in missionary labours,
and it will be a pleasant thought that you are now
witnessing the scenes and passing over the very
ground so often traversed by the revered Schwartz.
Nothing now exists to tell us where he lived or
died; his grave alone remains; but as we view the
black marble bull, or visit the pagoda whose spacious
precincts with their solemn quietness, painfully re-
mind us of our own cathedrals, we shall not fail to
think how often his spirit must have been stirred by
scenes like these.

The present line of Rajahs of Tanjore are of Mah-
ratta origin ; in 1685, the then reigning sovereign in-^
yited the Mahrattas to assist him against the power
of Trichinopoly. Sevagi, the famous Mahratta chief,
sent his brother Eccogi on this service, who, as usual
in Eastern history, dethroned the sovereign he was
^nt to protect, and possessed himself of the kingdom.

The wars among the native princes in the last
century, in which we were called to interfere, consi^
derably lessened the power of Tanjore, and it after-
wards became tributary to our Indian governments

dbyGoogk

12 LSTFEB I.

Still, as in the time of Schwartz, the Kajah retained
a degree of independence, but late events have made
further measures necessary ; and his power is now
confined to his own fort and a small territory, per-
haps half a mile around.

The only state on this coast that has preserved its
independence, is the Tondinvan country^ a little prin-
cipality lying to the south of Tanjore, and governed
hy its own Rajah, who is descended from the ancient
Polygar chiefs, that bold and fearless race so often
spoken of in Indian history. The spirit of their
ancestors is not yet extinct among these rulers, for
even the nominal annual tribute of an elephant proved
so galling to the late Kajah, that it has been remitted
within the last few years. This Prince was a very
amiable man, and so beloved by his people, that
when riding into the country, a Mend of ours has
often seen the villagers, of their own accord, run
before him to clear the road of stones or any obstacle
that might make his poney stumble. He was very
fond of European society, and spoke and wrote
English remarkably well; his manners were very
gentlemanly, and there was a tact in his intercourse
with the English that was very striking, when the
difference^ of manners, customs, and habits of feeling
was considered.

He lived and died a heathen. How true it is, that
the " natural man," however intelligent and amiable,

dbyGoogk

TONDIMAN EAJAH. 13

" discemeth not the things of the Spirit !" And yet
he must have known something about Christianity ;
for one day the lady to whom I have just alluded was
present at an interview between him and a French
Jesuit priest, when after a few remarks on unimpor-
tant subjects, he suddenly turned to the priest and
said, " What is the difference between your religion
and this gentleman's V* (alluding to an English gentle-
man also present) " ^ou worship images as we do, he
does not ; how is this V What stumbling blocks
does Popery throw in the way of real Christianity !

His son, the present Tondiman Rajah, is very
young, not more than thirteen years old, but like his
father, is amiable, intelligent, and very fond of the
English. May the affectionate kindness he has
received from his English friends, and which has so
drawn his heart towards them, be made the means of
winning it also to that religion from which the
kindly feeling sprung.

Our next halt will be at Trichinopoly. For the
present adieu.

Believe me,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

14 LETTER II.

LETTER 11.

My Dear Lucy,

Had we taken the shorter, but less convenient,
road from Mayaveram, and passed through Triviar,
instead of Tanjore, we should have met with the
Cavery again, just before we reached Trichinopolj ;
and if our journey were in the spring, our bearers
would find no difficulty in canying us over; for,
from February to June the bed of the river is sand
from bank to bank, except a narrow stream running
along the middle.

But later in the year its full impetuous waters
must be crossed in a very different way. You have
heard of the basket boats mentioned by Herodotus,
and still used on the Euphrates ; but probably never
thought of getting into one yourself. You must
however venture, — ^they are circular baskets, from
nine to fourteen feet in diameter, made of bamboo,
and covered with buffalo leather. Your palanquin,
with yourself in it,Nwill be put into one of these, with
the poles of the palanquin resting on the edges of the
boat j your fourteen attendants, with two men to

dbyGoogk

TRICHINOPOLT. 15

manage the little vessel, will get in beside you, and
you will scarcely feel alarmed, even though the swift-
ness of the stream should give you a few sudden whirls
before you reach the opposite bank.*

The rapidity of the river, when fdU, is too great to
allow of any other boats being used with safety ; and
all the iron ore which, as I formerly told you, is
brought down the river from Salem to Porto Novo, is
thus conveyed. When the meai arrive at the end of
their voyage, they take their boats to pieces, just as
we are told they did in days of old, bum the frames,
and carry the leather back with them to be ready for
their next expedition.

As Trichinopoly comes in sight, and your eye rests
on its strong and extensive fort, built on a command-
ing rock, the names of Olive and Lawrence will
scarcely fail to cross your mind, and while you thank-
fully acknowledge the good hand of God, without
which the valour of our troops could have been of no
avail, a deeper joy and gratitude will rise with the
thought that these fair scenes are no longer defiled

* In some of the less frequented roads, the short lived
torrents that so suddenly appear and disappear, are
crossed in a still more simple manner. The natives make
a smaller and larger hoop of bamboo, between the two
they fasten the necks of several of their common earthen
chattiSBi a&d covering all with a kind of wicker platform,
place the traveller and his palanquin upon it, and swimming
by his side convey the fragile bark across in safety.

dbyGoOgk

16 LBTTBE n.

with war and bloodshed, but are enjoying the blessings
of peace and liberty, under British government.

I cannot pass by this fort and its English church,
without alluding to the melancholy fate of the Na-
waub of Kurnool, so lately murdered within its walls ;
and though it will be rather a digression from my
more immediate subject, the whole story is so remark-
able, that I will relate it to you.

Before I begin, I must remind you that not only
is there a mixture of Hindoo and Mohammedan
population in the territories under British sway in
India, but that there still exist a considerable number
of both Hindoo and Mohammedan governments. The
Hindoo sovereigns, generally called " Rajahs,'* have
always been independent of each other; but the
rulers of the smaller Moham/medan states, called
^^ Nawavbs^'^ (or Nabobs), were dependent on the
vice-roys of provinces, and, through them, on the
government of the Great Mogul at Delhi. Those in
the Dekkan were subject to the vice-roy of Hydra-
bad, (now called the " Nizam^')X and though, since
the Mogul empire has passed away, his power has

* Also the Mcika Rctfah, (Great Prince), of the Pun-
jaub, the Bcma of Odeypoor and other places, the Boo of
Cutch, &c.

t Other titles are in use among the Mohammedans— e. g.
Padshah of Oude, — the Ameers of Sind,— -the Khans of
Buhawulpoor, &c.

X Nizam means administrator or governor.

dbyGoOgk

MOHAMilllEDANS. 17

been greatly lesselied^ He still retai&B a degree of
influence among these Mohammedan states, even those
that are tributary to^ or in alliance with Great
Britain.

The present Nizam is one of our allies, and his
prime minister, a very clever intelligent Brahmin,
has always been decided and unvarying in his
attachment to the English ; but the Nizam's brother is
an ambitious intriguing man, and has several times
been detected in plotting against us, and has in con-
sequence been banished to some distance from
Hydrabad.

There are never wanting among the Mohammedans
bigoted zealots, who, under the strong influence of
an intolerant and domineering creed, are ever ready
to seize any favourable opportunity of exciting the
hostile feelings of their fellow believers; and the
remarkable rapid secret communication that is con-
stantly carried on among the patives* affords an
unusual ^^sility for plots and conspiracies against the
existing state of things.

You know how fond the Mohammedans all over
the world are of amulets, or charms ; these generally

* Public news is often known through this channel, or
by a " Bazaar report,** as it is called, several days before
any reguWinformation is received ; and it will be retaem-
bered that our disasters in Cabool, in January, 18^, were
first heard of in this way.

dbyGoogk

18 IiETTEB n*

contain only the name of God,* or some passage from
the Koran ; but they are at times made use of to
conyey some hidden meaning, and to arouse a spirit
of fanaticism against either the idolatrous Hindoosf
or the " infidel Feringees," as they call the English.

Numbers of these exciting amulets were discovered
and sent in to Government from all parts of South
India, in the year 1838, when our troops were first
marched towards Affghanistan, and when it would
seem there was a general secret stir among the
Mohammedan part of our Indian population. Arab
spies or delegates were sent from the North West
provinces, to excite, it is believed, a general in-
surrection ; and had not the Providence of God
watched over the dark and unseen danger, our Indian
empire might have been placed in jeopardy, or at the
very least, the lives of many Europeans would have
been sacrificed in the general massacre which appeared
to have been planned.

Some of these delegates were seized near Madras,

* The writer has by her a number of little pieces of
paper, each ruled in nine small squares, and each square
containing the words, *^ Ah Allah," (O God) in the Malay
character. They were found enclosed in a small ball of
green gram, mixed with some glutinous substance, which
was picked up on the beach at Madras, and were doubt*
less charms thrown overboard by Mohammedans from
jBome native vessel,

t See note A at the end of the volume.

dbyGoOgk

IfOHAMMEDANS.

»and the following is a translated copy of one of the
real or pretended amulets found upon them. It is
artfully worded ; for most of it is from the Korsui
and, at first sight, would appear to be intended
merely for a religious purpose, but the fourth and
fifth lines plainly show that the object was to rouse
the Moslems to the duty of " Juhad^^ or war against
the infidels. You must read it from right to leffc : —

from
evil.

and our
people

deliver
us

Gracious

God I

fortified

walls.

any

except
those

will not
destroy

the
righteous

will
reward

God

us thy
servants.

to aid

and

miccour

thy
prophet

send

God!

our
Prophet.

Thou,

these
tyrants,

cities

from
these

Drive
out

our

God I

Thou,

Destroy
them,

and

the

heretics.

the
infideU

Fi^ht
against

It was just about this time, and while the success
of our arms in Affghanistan still hung doubtfully iit
the balance,* that a poor woman, travelling alone,
was seized with cholera at a choultry near Hydrabad,
and finding her end approaching, she begged to speak

In the spring of 1639.

c 2

dbyGoogk

20 LETTBB n.

privately to a respectable looking native, a stranger,
who happened to be resting there also. Taking from
her neck an amulet, she gave it to him, solemnly
charging him to throw it into the river as soon as she
was dead. The man took it with the intention of
fulfilling the injunction, but on recalling the earnest-
ness of the woman's manner, his suspicions were
awakened ; and instead of taking it to the river he
carried it to the authorities at Hydrabad. On exa-
mination it was found to be a communication between
the Nizam's brother and the Nawaub of Kumool, a
small Mohammedan state, professedly in alliance with
us, near Hydrabad, and about 130 miles from
Madras ; and a further investigation led to the dis-
covery of a deep-laid conspiracy against us.

A body of our troops was immediately despatched
to the place, and information having been received of
a quantity of arms and ammunition being secreted
in the fort, permission was demanded to examine it.
The Nawaub, trusting, probably, to the dexterity
with which they had been concealed, made no diffi-
culty in complying with the demand, and, with his
own soldiers, marched out into the plain. The whole
fort, including the Nawaub's palace, was strictly
searched, by commissioners appointed for the purpose,
but nothing suspicious could be found.

The gardens belonging to the " Zenana" or ladies'
apartments, were divided into squares, separated by

dbyGoogk

&UENOOL. 21

high walls, and though this was the part of the
palace the most suspected, the party had passed
through the whole without making any discoveries.
As, however, no doubt was entertained of the truth
of the previous information, these gardens were sub-
jected to a second and more rigorous examination ;
and, to the astonishment of all, it was at length dis-
covered that thej formed a complete though secret
arsenal. Many of the walls were double, with the
spaces between them roofed over, and in these and in
other hiding places, some under ground, were found
between six and seven hundred field-pieces of artil-
lery, with gun-carriages, cartridges, balls, muskets,
a large quantity of gunpowder, and furnaces for cast-
ing guns, &c. Most of the guns had been newly
manufactured, and the furnaces had been in recent
operation, and little doubt could be entertained that
Kumool was only the centre of an extensive plot, and
that, had we failed in Affghanistan (as they all hoped
and expected), the Mohammedans would have been
in arms throughout great part of India. '^ The friend
who sent us the account of this from Madras, at the
time it happened, adds : " How surprising that this
should have been going on so under our own eye !
And then, whence could the funds have been
obtained 2 It is a fresh instance of the wonderful
way in which God keeps us in India."
• S^ note B.

dbyGoogk

22 liETTEE n.

The remainder of the history of the Nawaub Itf
deeply affecting, and gives us another ground for
hope, that in the world of future glory many may be
found, of whom the Church on earth knows nothing.
He was sent as prisoner to Trichinopoly, but was
only restrained within the walls of the extensive fort.
Some time after he had been there, he began to read
Persian and Hindostanee tracts on the subject of
Christianity ; and so strong was the impression made
upon his mind, that he sent several times to the Bev*
Mr. Hickey, (a Missionary of the Society for Propa-
gating the Gospel,) earnestly requesting an interview^
As he was a state prisoner, Mr. Hickey thought it
right to decline, unless he had permission from
Government, and only promised, (and, I believe, after-
wards sent) him a Hindpstanee New Testament.
Shortly after he expressed a wish to be present at the
English worship; and the two following Sundays
attended the morning service in the church. On the
last of these* he obtained permission to remain there,
to be ready for the Tamul service in the afternoon ;
and during this time several persons came into the
church and entered into conversation with him.
Among others was a Mohammedan, who approached
him, bending low, and holding up his hands joined,
as if in supplication. No sooner was he within reach
of him, than he darted forward, and with a small
• July 12th, 1840.

dbyGoogk

KITRKOOL. 23

" khuttar,*** concealed between his hands, he stabbed
the unfortunate prince in seyeral places. The guards
rushed in and secured the assassin ; but it was too
late, the mortal wound had been given, and the
Nawaub was conveyed to his house in dreadful agony,
where he only lingered a few hours. He sent again
for Mr. Hickey, to whom he expressed his belief in
Christianity, and anxiously requested baptism, but it
was not thought advisable to comply with his request.
In the midst of his sufferings, he exclaimed, pointing
to heaven, " God is God;" entirely omitting the ever
customary words, " and Mahomet is his prophet."

The murderer proved to be a fakeer, he was
executed, but persisted to the last that he had done a
meritorious act, as the Nawaub intended to become
a Christian; and not only did the other Moham-
medans in the placjs join in the same opinion, but the
priests declared that the murderer was secure of being
received into paradise.

I shall only add that I remain,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

a LETI9ER IXL

LETTER IIL

Mt Dear Luot,

On leaving Trkhmopdy, and pursuing our course
southward, we i^aU in a few days reach Madura, the
capital of the exten^iye province of the same name.
Cotton is largely cultivated throughout this part of
the country ; and had your English muslin dress the
&eultie9 of sense and speech, it might perhaps claim
relationship with some of the bushes as you pa^a
aloBg; though I doubt, whether, afler its foreign
mtetamorphosis, its parents would recognize it as their
own*. These plantations are more profitable than
picturesque ; the shrub is kept low, not unlike our
currant bushes ; it bears a large and pretty lilac
blossom, and a pod filled with cotton contains the
seeds,

Madura was once the seat of the powerful Pandyan
kingdom ; and though the native accounts of its
splendour and importance are too much mixed with
fable to be received in all their details, yet the out-
lines are fully corroborated by independent evidence.

It is the opinion of Professor Wilson that this
monarchy was founded about b. o. 500, while the

d brCoogk

ttADUBA. 2d.

temple at Jerusalem was rising again under the pro-
tection of the kings of Persia ; and probably during
the time Haggai and Zechariah were delivering their
prophecies. But how different is the history of
Gbd's chosen people from that of all other nations !
while the most minute events connected with the
church of God are recorded by the pen of unerring
truths we have only fabulous or vague accounts of this
mighty empire. In the time of our Lord, it appears
from both Greek and Latin authors, that it extended
from sea to sea over the whole of Southern India,
from the river Valur* to Cape Oomorin; and
ambassadors from the king of Pandya are m^^itioned,
more than once, as visiting Bome in the time of
Augustus.t

By degrees the dominions of this monarchy were
greatly curtailed, partly by the states of MaUbar
asserting their independence; and partly by the
growth of the power of the Polygars, and other small
principalities on the north and east. But, though
duninbhed, its power was not broken, and it continued

• The river on which Porto Novo stands.

t The Romans must at some period have gained a con-
uderable footing in the Peninsula, as a chain of mounds
like Roman tumult, may be traced across from sea to sea,
near TMchinopoly and Goimbatore. A mound near the
latter place has lately been explored, and was ^ound to
contain weapons like those that have been opened in our
own country.

Digitized by VjjOOQIC

26 LBiTEB m.

a flourishing and powerful empire for many centuries.
In the fourteenth century the Mohammedans over-ran
the country, but did not permanently establish them-
selves there; and though much weakened and de-
pressed by this fresh aggression, Madura continued to
be governed by its own Hindoo sovereigns, called
" Naydks,^ One of the most remarkable of these was
Tirumallee* Nayak, who began his long and pros-
perous reign about a.d. 1625. He built the famous
Choultry that bears his name, for the use of the
pilgrims who visit the Pagoda ; and the architecture
of this magnificent structure bears witness to his
munificence. It is built of grey granite, and consists
merely of one immense hall, 312 feet in length, and
125 in breadth ; the roof is supported by six ranges
of columns, twenty-five feet in height, many of them
being a single stone. The style is " purely Hindoo
and blends the square and massive character of the
general structure with the singularly minute deco-
rations, and luxuriantly fentastic development of
the details." The pillars are covered with the
most elaborate carving of figures of the Rajah and
his femily, of various Hindoo deities and other
devices, and the ceiling is ornamented with the signs
of the Zodiac.

This Choultry stands within the fort, which also

* Holy Mountain.

dbyGoogk

Contains within its ample area a handsome Pagoda^
and the palace of its kings. These last bear evident
traces of the ancient Indian architecture, mixed with
the more modem Saracenic*

The last of the Pandyan sovereigns was a queen,
named Minakshi Amman ; she was betrayed and
deprived of her kingdom by Chunda Saib in 1736,t
and when he afterwards yielded to the British
forces, Madura and Tinnevelly fell into our
hands.

Early in the Christian era a college was founded at
Madura for the cultivation of Tamul literature, and
was renowned throughout India for the learning of
its professors. Great pains were taken to cultivate
the language, and to keep it free from Sanscrit words,
which began to be brought in from the north ; and to
this day no Tamul is considered pure that has any
admixture of the northern tongues. The legends of
former times tell us of a golden bench at Madura, on
which the learned professors of the college were wont
to sit, and which had the instinctive property of con-
tracting or dilating itself according to the mental
acquirements of those who attempted to seat them-

* Daniell's Indian views contain beautifal and correct
representations of the public buildings in Madura, as also
of the fort of Trichinopoly, and the rocks at Pavanasam.

t The remnant of the Royal family are living some-
where in a village near Madura.

dbyGoOgk

28 XJITTEB in.

9elyes upon it^ so that no unlearned person could
ever gain admission. Probably this fable is meant to
express the severe examination to which the candi-
dates for professorships were subjected.

Leaving Madura, we will proceed to Tinnevelly.
It occupies the south^-eastem extremity of the
Peninsula, and is about 120 miles in length, and
between sixty and seventy in breadth. It is bounded
by the sea on the east and south, and on the west is
separated from Travancore by the range of mountains
called the Ghauts.

The northern part of the province, by which we
enter it from Madura, is varied with hill and dale,
and the plains are rich in fields of cotton and grain of
various kinds, whose ample produce well repays the
labour of the husbandman. Nearly the whole of this
northern part is in the hands, or under the influence
of large landed proprietors, called " Zemmdars^ the
descendants of the old Polygars. They are a kind of
feudal lords, and exercise a very despotic authority
over their vassals and tenants ; and yet, haughty and
unyielding as they are to their dependants, they are
themselves the slaves of superstition. One curious
part of their superstitious observances, is the appoint-
ment of one person in the household of each Zemin-
dar^ whose sole business it is to prescribe the kind and
number of dishes of which his master's meals are to
consist ; and to regulate, according to the Shaster, the

dbyGoogk

COTJBTALLUM. 29

order in which they are to be served, and the quantity
to be eaten of each. When the Zemindar has taken
the proper number of mouthfuls, this master of cere-
monies^ without speaking a word, points to the book
he is holding in his hand, — ^the dish is immediately
removed, and the Zemindar must begin the next,
which, perhaps, he does not like half so well as the one
he has been forced to part with.

As we pass along, the mountains of the Ghauts
rise tit some distance on our right; their wild
and richly wooded- heights running down into
the cultivated plains, and producing a beauty and
variety of scenery scarcely to be equalled. Among
these mountains, the rivers, Sittaroo and Thum-
beravany take their rise ; and though, like all other
Indian rivers, they are held sacred throughout their
whole course, . the cataracts that occur near their
sources render them still more honoured here than
in the plains below.

The beautiful fall of Courtallum, on the Sittaroo, is
highly venerated ; pilgrims repair to it from all parts ;
the neighbouring villages are considered holy, and a
considerable town, a few miles lower down the river,
is honoured by the name of Tem&si, or the Southern
Benares.*

Courtallum itself, is, for very different reasons, a
favourite resort of the English residents in Tinnevelly*
* C3si is the native name for Benares. .

dbyGoOgk

30 XBTTEB ni.

during tlie intense heat in the months of Julj and
August. In this lovely spot they enjoy the refreshing
coolness of an almost European atmosphere, and regain
that yigour and elasticity of mind and body, which a
tropical climate se soon destroys.

Twenty-five or thirty miles further to the south, on
the river Thumberavany, is a still more celebrated
waterfall, which has received the name (to a Christian
mind how touching !) of Fdvandsam, or washing away
of sin.

Near the fall, some figures have been rudely sculp-
tured on the adjacent rock ; and about a mile lower
down, a pagoda has been built on a spot well chosen
to attract the eye and seize on the imagination.
More than half encircled by the wild rocks and
mountains of the Ghauts, shut out from the plains
below by a ridge of lower hiUs — ^with no approaches
to it but by a narrow pass or a winding road, and no
other human habitation to be seen — it stands with
its gopnim and its extensive choultries, a melancholy
monument of the power of the Prince of Darkness.

Surely, if the natural mind could of itself ever
ascend, " from nature up to nature's God,'* it would
be in such a spot as this, where the bold dark rocks
— ^the noble trees — the loud roar of waters, and the
eddying stream not yet recovered from the agitation
of the cataract — all unite in proclaiming the power
and majesty of Him who made them. But Satan

dbyGoogk

PAVANASAM. 31

■ better knows the human hearty and it is especially in
scenes like these that he appears to exercise the most
uncontrolled dominion.

At the season of their frequent idol feasts, the
place is thronged with worshippers ; and the wild
strains of their fantastic but not unpleasing music,
resounding at the evening worship along the spacious
courts, and the glare of torches shedding an uncer-
tain light on all around, produce a powerful effect on
the imagination.

Even on common days you cannot visit it without
being deeply moved — ^many a poor wanderer may
there be seen whose " cAvi,^ or sacred saffron-coloured
cloth, tells you what has brought him to the place.
From Trichinopoly, Madras, Calcutta, and even Be-
nares, pilgrims may here be met with; many doubt-
less coming in hypocrisy and wilftil self-deceit, but
some among them in sincerity, hoping here to wash
away the sins that lie heavy on their souls, and at last,
at Pavancisam, to find the peace they have sought in
vain at so many other shrines.

One of the most consistent Christians in Tinnevelly
was, some years ago, one of these wandering devo-
tees. After going from mountain to mountain, from
one sacred station to another, in the fruitless hope of
finding rest to his soul, he was one day led by the Spirit
of God to join a crowd of persons collected under a
tree, listening to one of our Tinnevelly missionaries, as

dbyGoogk

32 LETTEB in.

he published the glad tidings of the gospel of peace.
Whether the word touched any other of the hearers
I cannot tell ; but it reached this pilgrim's hearty and
like a nail fastened in a sure place, it never left it.
After a time he was baptized, and " Mallee Samuel,"*
for that is now his name, has long known by happy
experience where alone true peace is to be found.

Every thing near the pagoda of Pavanaaam seenis
to be deified — ^the river itself is worshipped ; the
rude bas reliefs on the rock near the water-Ml are
adored by prostrate pilgrims ; and the very fish
receive a kind of religious homage. It would be
thought impiety to kill them, they are constantly
fed by the dancing girls of the pagoda, and are so
tame that they will suffer them to play with them
and take them out of the water for several minutes,
without appearing to be frightened.

One day the curiosity of a friend of ours was
excited by observing a bullock- driver, carrying a
quantity of rice towards the river, and he followed
him to see what he was doing. The man threw the
rice into the water, and in an instant the clear bright
stream was literally blackened by the shoals of fish
that pressed forward to share in this favourite food.
On inquiring of the man his reason for this liberality
to the fish, he told him that his cattle had long been

• *' Samuel of the Hill," or " Mountain Samuel," so
called from his former wanderings among the mountains.

dbyGoOgk

PAVANASAM. 33

suffering from disease^ and that he hoped by this
means to propitiate the fish, and induce them to com-
municate some healing virtue to the waters. He had
left his herd of bullocks a few hundred yards lower
down that they might be cured by drinking of the
stream as it flowed on to them.

How many thoughts will come into your mind
while reading of Payanasam ! the " fountain opened
for sin and uncleanness/* — the tree whose " leaves are
for the healing of the nations," — " the water of life"
of which all may drink " without money and without
price." Many such passages will come before you,
and fill you with adoring gratitude for our clearer
light and surer hope.

It is, however, cheering to know, that the glad
tidings of salvation have sounded even| among the rocks
of P&vanasam. Our missionaries have from time to
time proclaimed the gospel even in the precincts of
the pagoda ; and a tract left in a hermit's cell, or in a
basket amid the relics of idolatry by the way side,
may, for aught we know, ere this, have made their
way to the heart of some deluded worshipper.
I remain.

Yours affectionately, .

S. T. .

dbyGoogk

34 LETTER IT.

LETTER IV.

My dear Lfoy,
I WILL return again to the northern district of
Tinnevelly, to tell you of the missionary work going
on there, but must now transport you across the
country^ and place you among Jihe palmyras in the
southeastern districts. The face of the country is
here completely changed ; the tamarinds and other
spreading trees hare disappeared^ and the almost
level plain of arid sand, extending for many liiiles
along the coast, and stretching far inland, seems to
baffle the industry of man, and scarcely yields a
shrub or vegetable to repay his incessant toil.

But the Providence of God has not forgotten him ;
and here, where nothing else will grow, the palmyra
is provided without human care or culture ; the
sandy plains are covered with it, and though it can
boast of no beauty in its outward form, it affords
him a supply of almost all he wants.

From the wood of this tree the villagers procure
the stakes and raflers for their huts; the leaves^

* This singularly formed leaf grows in natural folds,
like a large fan, only that the folds meet in the centre^
and at the outer edge separate into long taper points.

dbyGoOgk

PALMTBA^

they use for thatch, and for fences to their little
gardens; or they split them into oleis* for their
writing, or, cutting them into still narrower strips,
make them into mats, or weave them into those
pretty baskets you so often hare admired.

TOUNa PALMYRA,

Of the fibres of the stalk they make their ropes
and coarser mats, and the blossom and fruit furnish
-them with nearly all their foodi.

The villages in these palmyra groves are inhabited
chiefly by "Shears," an industrious hard-working
race, reckoned among the lower subdivisions of the
Soodras.

♦ See Part I., Letter 0.

J> 2

dbyGoogk

36 LBTTBE IV.

From all that I can find about them, I am much
inclined to agree with those who consider them to
haye been the original possessors of the country, and
that when the conquering army of K&m took pos-
session of the richer northern districts, the Shanars
were suffered to retain their palmyras unmolested.

One strong argument in favour of this conjecture,
is, that in the southern part of Tinnevelly, the
highest class of Shiinars, called '^ N^ans," are the
acknowledged proprietors of the soil ; and even when
a NMan has sold a piece of land, he retains the right
to a sort of quit rent. Indeed, the system is very
like that of our lords of the manor, with the addition
of the remarkable privilege, that in any dispute that
is brought into a court of law, with regard to landed
property, though all other classes are obliged to
establish their claim by written documents, it is only
necessary for a NMan to be identified as the Nddan
of such a particular spot, and the disputed property
is adjudged to him, unless the opponent can prove his
purchase of it.

The pultivation of «thie palmyra is also the exclu-
sive right of one division of these people, called the
" climbing Sh&nars," and is never infringed on by
any others. It is indeed too difficult a task to be
accomplished by any who have not been accustomed
to it from early youth; and some of our English
boys who pride themselves on the ease with which

dbyGoogk

PALHTEA.

they can climb an oak or an elm, would be puzzled
to know how to reach the top of a palmyra.

COCOA NUT AND PALMTBA TREES.

The annexed engraving shows you the character
of the tree : it throws out no branches, and its tall
stiff stem rising to the height of forty, sixty, or eyen

dbyGoogk

38 LETTEB TV,

eighty feet^ affords but slight assistance to the daring'
enterprise.

The Shanar, however, has a way of his own con-
trivance — ^he puts his feet into a long loop woven
from the fibres of the leaves, whose roughness catch-
ing the slight unevennesses of the trunk, may assist
him in his ascent, or preserve him from a fall : and
with five or six earthen jars slung at his side, a
knife Stuck into his girdle, and without any covering
but the cloth worn round the waist, and occasionally
a breast-plate of leather, he clasps his arms round
the tree, and with astonishing dexterity quickly
gains the summit. Here, at the beginning of the
palmyra season, he finds among the cluster of fan-
shaped leaves that crown the stem, several large long
sheaths that contain the flower buds. Over each of
these he hangs a jar, and cutting off the top of the
bud, the juice begins to flow, and he descends^
leaving it to flow on till evening. Another and
another tree is thus visited, and a skilful climber
will sometimes visit as many as forty trees in the
course of a few hours. They are generally thus
employed from three or four o'clock in the morning
till noon, when they return home to rest during the
hottest part of the day, and go to work again from
three or four o'clock in the afternoon till nine or ten
at night.

For four or five months the bud continues to give

dbyGoogk

SHANARS-f 39

out its precious juice, and every morning and evening
the industrious climber goes through the fatiguing
task of visiting each tree, emptying the jars into a
closely woven basket of palmyra leaf which he
carries with him, and then makes over his hard
earned treasure to the management of his wife.

You will readily suppose that this is a dangerous^,
as well as difficult employment ; a single false step
among the leaves, or one moment's letting go his
hold in ascending or descending, precipitates the
poor Sh^ar to the ground, and the half-yearly
reports of the missionaries, frequently contain the
account of one or more of their people who have been
found dead or dying at the foot of their trees,

The work of the wife is less dangerous, but not
much less fatiguing than thp^t of her husband. As
soon in the morning as she has arranged her few
household affairs, she joins him among the trees, and
begins her work by enclosing a small space with a
fence of palmyra leaves. She then lights a fire with
a kind of low thorn that grows here and there among
the palmyras, and proceeds to boil down the sweet
juice she receives from her husband, called in this
state " FvUaneer,'* into a thick syrup, which she
pours into cocoa-nut shells or holes scooped in the
sand, where it hardens into a coarse black kind of

♦ « Putta;' palm—" neer;* water.

dbyGoogk

40 LEl*rEB IV,

8U^ called ^ KuripehMiJ** J£ the poor woman
oan find a margosa or other spreading tree^ she gladly
avails herself of its shade, but theise are very rarely
to be met with, and she generally has to stand over
the fire" exposed to the burning rays of the sun, from
the morning till six or seven o'clock iii the evening.
Her work is not yet ended, she must boil the rice for
her husband's supper, and when he returns must
bathe and shampoo his limbs to remove the stifiness,
and prepare him for his next day's work.

The intoxicating liquor called " toddy," or more
correctly " tsbi," is the fermented juice procured both
from the cocoa-nut and palmyra ; but the Shanars of
Tinnevelly very rarely make this use of it, and in
order to prevent the fermentation which otherwise
would begin as soon as it was exposed to the air, they
line their jars with a coating of lime.

The palmyra nut, in different states, supplies the
principal part of the food of the Shimars during
almost the whole year. While the season lasts, the
puttaneer that is foundin the jart in the early part
of the day, is, as I have told you, boiled into kuri-
pekutti, and a good piece of this, accompanied
perhaps with a little salt fish or oil cake, forms the
noonday meal. The supper consists of a little coarse
rice and a draught of puttaneer, while this juice
alone suffices for their simple breakfast.
* Black lump.

dbyGoogk

SHAKABS. 41 .

Wben the puttaneer season is over, the faithfol
palmyra yields them subsistence in another form.
A certain number of the trees haye been 1^ un-
touched till the firuit is ripe, and this they now gather
for present use or i^ture produce. Every tree pro-
duces thirty or forty nuts, each containing three
smaller ones embedded in a fibrous pulp, and filled
with a cooling and refreshing substance like jelly.
It is sometimes eaten in this state, but they more
frequently roast the whole fruit, and peeling off the
outer rind eat the remainder. But there is still
another state in which this invaluable nut serves for
food. It is kept till the outer shell is hard, the inner
nuts are then taken out and planted in the patches
of sandy ground that surround the village. In this
favourite soil the nut throws out a taper root the
size and shape of a small carrot, but in colour and
taste like an indifferent potatoe, and as soon as the
green shoot appears above the ground, it is dug up
and affords support during another portion of th^
year. Now and then a family is rich enough to pos-
sess a cow, and the milk adds considerably to the
comfort of their meals ; and a few of the people have
little gardens where, by means of hard work and con-
stant watering, they contrive to grow a coarse kind of
plantain, either for their own use or for sale. Some-
times when they have more kuripekutti than they
require for their own consumption, they boil it again

dbyGoogk

42 uirrTEB iv^

into a yellow sugar candy. This is in common use
among the natives through all Southern India; and
if on a journey your stock of real sugar-candy should
be exhausted, you will be glad to meet with so good
a substitute. On the spot it is sold in square baskets
which are finished after the sugar-candy is put in, so
that you must cut them open to get at the contents;
but in the bazaars small quantities are exposed for
sale in a little boat made of two leaves prettily fas-
tened together with thorns.

In the very small villages the little dwellings are
placed side by side without any attempt at regu-
larity; but in the larger ones there are generally two
or three principal streets planted with various kinds
of trees, often with a kind of hibiscus (here called the
tulip tree) whose blossoms, changing from bright
yellow to a still brighter red, are very omamentaL
Under these trees the women and girls may often be
seen during the middle of the day spinning their
native cotton, while the weavers are busily employed
in preparing the threads to be transported to the
loom; and if it is a Christian village the toil is often
cheered by a Tamul hymn of praise, or by the cate-
chist reading to them or helping them to commit to
memory the words of Eternal Life.

Eut in thinking of these villages you must not
picture to yourself an English cottage with its case-
ment window half hidden by a honeysuckle or a China

dbyGoogk

SHANARS. 43

rose — ^with the smoke curling from the chimney, and
with its cheerful hearth and well rubbed homely far-
niture within. The Tinnevelly hut has neither
window, nor chimney, nor hearth, nor furniture.
Low walls of mud (or sometimes only of palmyra
leaves) with a roof of the palmyra leaf rising indeed
in the middle, high enough to permit you to stand
upright; but sloping down on every side to within
two or three feet of the ground, and with a door too
low to admit any but a child without stooping —
form the exterior of these dwellings, while the inte-
rior presents the appearance of anything but com-
fort. Probably a fire of dried palmyra leaves or cow-
dung will be burning in an earthen chatty, and the
smoke after filling the room finds an exit by the
door, and as you will suppose, obscures the little
light that can enter by this the only aperture.

The hut is generally divided into two rooms, each
six or seven feet square, and separated by a partition
carried about half way up, leaving the upper part
open that the inner room may receive what air and
light it can from the outer door.

A few earthen vessels, some cocoa-nut shells
formed into cups and ladles, and two or three mats
are often their only furniture, though sometimes they
possess a few brass plates and drinking cups, and a
kind of cot of palmyra wood to sit or sleep upon.

The men are fond of sleeping in the open air during

dbyGoogk

LBTTEB IV«

the dry season^ and if jou pass a village at night, you
will most likely see some of the inhabitants lying
down before their doors, wrapped in their long white
cloths, as I before described to you in my account
of the Choultry.*

Sometimes these huts have a small space in front,
enclosed with walls of mud, in which Aey carry on
their household work. In the accompanying wood-
cut, you may observe one woman within, rolling the

ingredients with which to prepare for her husband
the unusual luxury of curry ; another sitting at the
entrance, is mixing some cow-dung with water; and a
third is plastering the mixture on the wall, where it
• Part I., Letter 11.

dbyGoogk

SHANABS. 45

is to dry for fuel : while another of the inmates is
lying asleep on the piol.*

These huts are rude and comfortless abodes, and
the food of these poor people is coarse and hard fare,
and yet, (as far as human eyes can penetrate) we
believe and know, that among the palmyra groves of
Tinnevelly, there dwells many a child of God, and
heir of future glory.

Adieu, dear Lucy,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

NATIVE CHATTY.

• Part I., Letter 6.

dbyGoOgk

LETTER V.

My Dear Lucy,

As the Hindoo population of Tinneyellj differs in
several important points from that in the neighbour-
hood of Madras, I shall give jou a little further
account of them before I proceed to any particulars
of missionary work.

There are here, as generally throughout the penin-
sula, the three great divisions of Bramvm, SoodroB,
and Fariars, or low caste people, and each of these
divisions is as numerously subdivided here as in other
parts of the country.* But, in these distant provinces,
the characteristic distinctions are more developed
than in places where the number of Europeans pro-
duces a greater degree of restraint ; and the Bramins,
in particular, assume a haughtiness of air, which is
rarely seen in the neighbourhood of Madras.

They consider themselves exalted so far above
other human beings, as to lose sight of all distinctions
of rank in those below them; and they hold all,
whether Soodras, Pariars, or Europeans, in equal
contempt. If you meet a Bramin in the road, and

* It is said there are more than sixty divisions of caste
in Tinnevelly.

dbyGoOgk

BBAUINS. 47

ask the way to any place^ he will very seldom con-
descend to" speak^ and yet, with true native courtesy,
he will never rudely pass you by; he will stop and
point with his finger to the right direction. K you
further inquire of him the distance, he will hold up
his fmgers, according to the number of miles, and if
you still ask if the road is straight or winding, will
draw his finger through the air to mark the various
turnings ; and when he has satisfied all your in-
quiries, will again move on in perfect silence.

The Braminee villages are chiefly built near the
rivers; and in the early morning, both men and
women may be seen performing their religious cere-
monies, among the trees, and in the choultries that
give to the banks of the sacred Thumberavany their
picturesque appearance. It is a curious sight to see
the Braminee women collected in little groups, and
going through the various forms prescribed to them
in their Shasters.*

They are enjoined to rise at a certain hour, and
immediately to proceed to the river, where the first
ceremony is to mix a certain quantity of safiron with
the water, and bathe their hands and faces in it.f
Water is then to be thrown a certain number of times
over the shoulder, their "muntrums,'* (a kind of unin-

* Religious books.

t It is this which gives to the complexion of the high
caste women the peculiar tinge of yellow.

dbyGoOgk

48 LETTER V.

telligible prayers), must then be gone through, and
the name of Ram, or some other deity, duly repeated.
They must afterwards pay homage to the Sun, by
bowing to the East, South, and West, with their hand
placed upon their mouth; and at last finish their
unprofitable worship, (which, according to the devo-
tion of the individual, lasts from one hour to two or
three !) by washing their cloths in the river.

To perform this part of their ceremonies, they un-
wind the greatest part of their long garment, and
taking the loosened part in both hands, dip it into
the stream, and according to the Eastern mode of
washing, beat it for some time against a stone. "^
Loosening the rest of the cloth, they wind the wetted
end round their waist, and proceed to dip and beat
the other : then folding it, wet as it is, in their own
graceful manner, over and across their shoulders, they
return home with a chatty of the sacred water for
use during the day.t

* It is one of the many curious inconsistencies of the
system of caste that women of the lower classes in Tinne-
velly (and probably elsewhere) would lose caste were they
to wash their own cloths, and as they can seldom afford
^^ of a rupee to have them done by the washerman,
they wear them more dirty than can be well imagined.

f The Hindoos consider that neither wetted nor silken
garments can convey contamination, and if a Pariar phy-
sician wishes to feel the pulse of a person of caste, a piece
of silk is interposed.

dbyGoOgk

MARAYEBSo 49

The higher divisions of the Soodras do not, I be-
lieve^ differ from those of the same caste in the
neighbourhood of Madras — ^and the Shanar division I
have already told you of; but there is a peculiar
class who, though not actually belonging to the
Soodras, rank with some of the subdivisions, and yet
whose features and form of countenance differ so
much from the rest of the population as to make it
probable they had a different origin.

These are the " Jf arai;er«," whose villages are
scattered along a strip of country near the coast from
Ramnad to Cape Comorin, and though thus inter-
mingled with the rest of the inhabitants, are per-
fectly distinct from them.

In former times they were a powerful people, pos-
sessing Eamnad and the adjacent country, but the
northern conquerors gradually deprived them of the
greatest part of their power and territory, and though
for a time they regained some considerable power
under the kings of Madura, who restored to them the
guardianship of the famous temple of Eamiseram
(opposite to Ceylon), their influence again declined,
and the only superiority they now possess is that
which arises from their own fearless and independent
spirit.*

* Some persons have conjectured (and it seems not to
be improbable) that the Maravers are the bears and mon-
keys spoken of in the Ramayuna, who having been them-

dbyGoogk

50 LETTEB V.

Their avowed occupation is thieving, indeed the
very word Maraver means thief, and many histories
are related of their extraordinary dexterity. So
ingenious and daring are they in their attacks upon
the property of others, that the neighbouring villages,
and even the missionaries, find that their only secu-
rity is in hiring one of these free-booters to protect
them from the rest. The larger villages employ
several of these strange watchmen, each of whom is
held responsible for all property stolen from his
employers, though their bold and reckless character
often makes the poor people afraid of even their own
protector.

At Palamcottah, some time ago, the widow of
Stephen, the Mayaveram cate^hist,* then residing in
the mission premises, was robbed of all her little
possessions, and the Maraver was as usual called on to
make good the loss. When told of the circumstance,
he exclaimed that he had no doubt he knew who had
committed the theft ; for that the Maraver of another
^art of the village bore him ill-will^ and had most
probably taken this mode of revenging himself, as he
knew the loss would fall upon him. At his request
she consented to take no farther steps till she saw

selves conquered by R&m, assisted bim in the conquest of
their neighbours, and then passed over with him to the
attack upon Ceylon.
♦ Part I., Letter 14.

dbyGoogk

BELIGIOX. 51

him again^ and in a day or two he returned^ telling
her that if she would go the next day at a certain
hour to the middle of such a field, she would find all
she had lost. Some of her friends went to watch ;
and at the promised time the goods were on the
appointed spot, but so dexterously was it managed,
that it was as if invisible hands had brought them,
for no human being was seen near the place.

The religion of the bulk of the people in Tinne-
velly and Madura, is quite distinct from the Bra-
minical, which as I formerly described, pr^ails
throughout northern India, and the greatest part of
the Peninsula. The Bramins themselves have a tra-
dition that their ancestors came from some distant
land, far to the north-west of Hindostan,*and met with
little opposition in establishing their religion till they
came here j but that in these provinces they could
obtain no footing, till having by their knowledge of
astronomy foretold an eclipse, the people imagined
them possessed of supernatural powers, and allowed
them to settle among them, though the great body of
them still refased to give up their own religion.

As there is a corresponding tradition among the
Shanars, this story is probably at least founded on

* It is a curious circumstance, that the Bramins in Tin-
nevelly (and the writer is told it is the same in Tanjore)
though they speak TamtU in their intercourse with others,
generally use Tdoogoo among themselves.

B 2

dbyGoogk

52 liBTTBB V.

fact, and it is made more probable by the circum-
stance that in Tinnevellj and Madura the worship of
Vishnooy Siva, and the other Braminical deities, is
confined to the Bramins themselyes, and the higher
divisions of the Soodras.

The Maravers, Shanars, and all the castes below
them, are direct and avowed worshippers of evil
spirits, and their religion is pre-eminently one of
fear and terror.

The objects of their adoration are very numerous,
many of them are female demons called Aman, and
the story of one named Mootoo Aman will give you
an idea of the rest. It is said that being for some
offence cast out of the presence of her superior Soda-
lamaden, and obliged to wander for many thousand
years upon the earth, she besought him to bestow on
her some boon that would make her banishment less
irksome. He replied that the only one he had to
give her was the power of injuring mankind, of de-
stroying children, and rendering the earth unfruitful.
With this she declared herself perfectly satisfied, — all
she desired was to be worshipped, and whether from
love or fear was a matter of indifference.

The endeavour of these poor idolaters to conceal
the particulars of their belief and worship from the
knowledge of Europeans, renders it difficult to obtain
any complete account of either, but the kindness of
several friends who have long resided among the

dbyGoogk

PEI ABADAKAI. 53

people, and liad intimate intercourse with them, has
put me in possession of several facts which help to
throw considerahle light on the subject.

The worship itself is called PeuAraddnai, (or
devil woriship) and the places where the rites of this
hateful idolatry are performed, are called *' pei-coUs,''
(or devil temples) ; no village is without one of these,
and some have four or five. They are of various
kinds ; sometimes it is a mere shed, in which is
placed the image of the demon, and before which the
worship is performed ; and sometimes it consists of a
building containing several small apartments enclosed
in a court One in Mr^ Blaokman^s district, and
which has now been pulled down by its former wor-
shippers, was a space about thirty feet square, sur-
rounded by a wall ; and round the interior of the
enclosure was a roof supported by pillars which shel-
tered about fifty idols of different forms and sizes.
At the destruction of the pei-coil the idols were broken
to pieces, and used in building a Christian house of
prayer.*

♦ Pieces of broken idols form also part of the walls of
the church at Kadatchapuram. The people had formerly
been in the habit of bringing images of stone or pottery,
and placing them in fulfilment of some vow in one par-
ticular field near the village. The Christians of the place
had from time to time taken opportunities of breaking
nearly all of them, and when the present church was built,
some of them were applied to the above purpose.

dbyGoOgk

54 LETTER V.

One distingaishing mark of the pei-^aradanai is the
erection of pyramidal heaps of earth from three to
seven feet in height^ and often coloured with alter-
nate stripes of red and white* Occasionally they
stand singly by the way-side, but you may frequently
see three or four together; generally, but not I brieve
always, there is one or more of these pyramids in
every pei-coil. They are only met with in Madura
and Tinnevelly, and some parts of Ceylon.

But the feature that peculiarly distinguishes this
worship from the Braminical, is the offering up of
animal sacrifices.* Buffalos, goats, sheep, pigs, and
fowls, are used for this purpose, and sometimes as
many as 300 or 400 fowls are slaughtered for one of
their great festivals.

Except annual feasts in honour of some of the
principal demons, they have no stated seasons for their
worship. Their frequency seems to depend on the
ability of the people to provide the offerings, or on
the degree of their fear of some impending calamity.t

When one of these feasts is determined upon, the
" Asdri" (or priest) gives notice to some person sup-
posed to be a favourite of the demon, who prepares

♦ Part I., Letter 3.

f There is one of these pei-coils opposite the Mission-
house at S&tankiillum, and during the prevalence of the
cholera, some time ago, Mr. Blackman's family was dis-
turbed every night for at least a month by the frightful

dbyGoOgk

PEI ARADANAI. 55

himself by going through various ceremonies, and
among others, holding his head over a censer of
burning perfumes, while three or four musicians stand
round, almost stunning him with the noise they make.
As soon as he is sufficiently excited, the ^'pei-ddi,''
as he is called, sets out for the spot where the worship
is to be performed, followed by all the people of the
village, with frightful shouts and loud -discordant
music. As he moves along, he brandishes a club and

trident spear, his legs are adorned with jingling
bangles, and a long white cloth is folded round him,
the ends of which are stained in dark deep red, with
pictures of some female demon, holding a club and
spear, and lamp, and sword in some of her many
hands, leading a band of evil spirits, and surrounded
by worshippers with various offerings.

When the party arrive at the pei-coil, the spirit of
the demon is supposed to quit the image in which it
usually resides, and to take possession oi the pei-adi ;

dbyGoogk

56 LETTER V.

the sacrifices are slain before him, and he drinks the
blood as it flows from the slaughtered animal.*
Becoming more and more intoxicated,t or rather
infuriated, he dances about in the most extravagant
manner, his whole frame trembles convulsively, and
he utters wild and incoherent sentences, which are
received by the standers by as answers from the
demon. Generally these are only promises vaguely
expressed of some desired benefit, or the assurance of
the removal of some evil ; but it is a curious fact,
that while in this state they often will carry a brass
dish of burning coals on their bare heads, or a chatty of
fire in their arms, with the flames playing about their
face and neck, without sustaining any inconvenience.]:
These sacrifices take place in the evening, and the
whole night is spent in feasting on the victims, and
in all kinds of revelling and wickedness ;§ but can

* Psal. xvi. 4 ; Gren. ix. 4.

+ Isa. xlix. 26 ; Rev. xvii. 6.

t The Missionaries are careful of inquiring too closely
into these particulars, lest the converts should be led to
substitute imagination for reality ; but a Maraver who was
formerly one of these devil dancers, and is now a humble
spiritually-minded believer, has told Mr. Blackman that
though he cannot account for it, he has often experienced
this, and has assured him that no preparation is used to
prevent their suffering. Some persons think that occa-
sionally it is a real possession.

§ The above is only a general outline of these cere-
monies, the details vary according to circumstances.

dbyGoOgk

PEI ARADANAI. 57

you believe it, dear Lucy, that not unfrequently it is
a woman who performs the dreadful part of one of
these pei-^ies ? *

We know that it is sovereign grace alone that
can rescue any soul from the slavery of sin and
Satan, and bring it into the spiritual family of God ;
but the Almighty power of that grace strikes one
more forcibly when the previous bondage has been so
visible, and the effects so fearful even to our outward
senses. Many of these devil worshippers have been
brought to the feet of Jesus ; and a spear, a club, or
a cloth, given up in testimony of conversion, affords
one of the most affecting memoriab we can have of
the power of the gospel.

Were you here, dear Lucy, the sight of some of
those that have been kindly sent us by the Mission-
aries, would touch your heart, and fill you with
thanksgiving to Him who can thus bring even a devil
dancer out of darkness into His marvellous light.
I remain.

Yours affectionately

S. T.

♦The Rev. P. P. Schaffler and the Rev. J. Thomas, have
both witnessed this.

dbyGoogk

58 LETTBE VI.

LETTEE VI.

My Dbae Lucy,

It is now about sixty years since the light of the
gospel began to shine in Tinnevelly, kindled there
by the venerable Schwartz, whose zeal and love, un-
chilled by advancing age, led him to visit this pro-
vince from Tanjore.

The Roman Catholic Missionaries had many years
before established themselves in these countries, and
Schwartz mentions that there were in his time no
fewer than 30,000 converts in this province alone,
but the manner in which they are spoken of agrees
but too well with their present state, and affords a
practical illustration of the hopelessness of " a cor-
rupt tree" bringing forth " good fruit."

The successors * of this indefatigable man followed
his example, many souls received the truth, congre-
gations were formed and placed under the care of
catechists, and for a while Christianity appeared
likely to flourish there. But after a time the Tan-
jore Missionaries found themselves unable to visit
these distant stations, persecutions arose in various

* Missionaries from the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge.

dbyGoOgk

ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSION. 59

places, the love of many waxed cold, till by degrees,
Christianity in Tinnevelly resembled a fire hid under
its own ashes.

Things were in this state when in the autumn of
1816, the Eev. J. Hough, one of the chaplains of
the East India Company, went to reside at Palam-
cottah; but sadly as religion had declined, he rejoiced
to find there still remained some fruit of Schwartz's
planting, and paid some interesting visits to several
villages where Christian culture had not been
bestowed in vain.*

These, however, were as nothing among the
800,000 inhabitants of Tinnevelly, over which the
darkness of heathenism still hung; and Mr. Hough's
interest was especially awakened by the number of
intelligent youths who crowded the bazaars and other
places of public resort. He resolved, with God's
help, to do something for their mental and spiritual
profit, and before March 1817, he- had, partly at his
own expense, and partly by the aid of the Church
Missionary Society, opened three schools in Palam-
cottah, in which 103 native boys received instruction.

Such were the small beginnings of the Tinnevelly
Mission, in which, at the time of Mr. Ehenius'

* It would be foreign to the writer's present purpose to
enter into any account of these villages, and she would,
therefore, refer the reader to '* Hough's Answer to the
Abb6 Dubois."— « Pearson's Life of Schwartz," &c.

dbyGoOgk

60 LETTER VI.

removal from Palamcotfcali, in r835, there were no less
than 2198 baptized Christians, and 8988 candidates
for baptism ;' while it now numbers 6552 of the former,
above 14,000 of the latter, and 1178 communicants ;
and Mr. Hough has been permitted to see what results
are sometimes granted to the well directed exertions
of one faithful and zealous individual.

Soon after this, two villages, that had been
awakened by a copy of the New Testament, given to
them some time before by a Missionary of the London
Missionary Society, applied for a Catechist, and
encouraged by these favourable openings, the Church
Missionary Society resolved to e^blish a Mission
here. The Kev. C. Ehenius and the Bev. B. Qchmid
arrived at Palamcottah in 1820, and they were after-
wards joined by other missionaries. By degrees a
regular establishment was formed ; catechists and
schoolmasters were trained, and appointed to pro-
mising stations ;* excursions were continually made

* At first there was great difficulty in keeping these
schools together. Sometimes the parents would be seized
with a panic, lest their children should be sent to
Tutucorin, and shipped off to England as slaves ; at other
times, a report would be spread that the missionaries
obliged each boy secretly to swallow a little piece of beef;
and in consequence of these, or similar apprehensions, a
whole school would often suddenly absent themselves ; and
though, as their courage returned, the greatest part would
gradually re-assemble, yet, many days, and sometimes
weeks, of instruction were thus lost.

dbyGoOgk

DISTBICTS. 61

into the surrouiidiiig.oouiitry; the large towns were
visited, and the gospel proclaimed to the multitudes
assembled at the idol feasts; and no opening was
passed by, no means were left untried by these zealous
men, which offered any hope of the extension of the
Saviour's kingdom.

But I shall follow the plan I have proposed to
myself in other missions, and without entering into any
intermediate details, will pass on to its present state.

There are now six stations in the Tinnevelly Mis-
sion, of which the original one of Palamcottah is
occupied by the Rev. G. Pettitt. The Mission pre-
mises are situated about half i a mile from the fort of
Palamcottah, and two miles and a half from the
populous town of Tinnevelly; they consist of a good-
sized compound, inclosing a comfortable house and
garden, a neat church, a school-house, and a few
native dwellings, inhabited by persons connected with
the Mission.

Besides the Christians in and immediately round
Palamcottah, Mr. Pettitt has the charge of eighty-seven
villages, placed under the immediate superintendence
of twenty-seven catechists. The number under
Christian instruction in this district is 3522, of
whom 1224 are baptized, and 247 are communicants.
The school-house in the compound is occupied by the
seminary lads, twenty-five in number who receive here
a better education than can be given in the village

dbyGoogk

62 LKTTEE VI.

day-schools, and Mrs. Pettitt has a nice girls' school
within the premises.

For the first five or six years of Mr. Pettitt's resi-
dence at Palamcottah, the Eev. J. Devasagayam* was
associated with him in his work; but about a year
an4 a half ago he was removed to Satankullum, to
take charge of that district during the Rev. C.
Blackman's temporary absence in England.

SdtankuUum is about twenty-five miles to the
south-east of Palamcottah; the district contains 4365
persons under Christian instruction, scattered about
in thirty-eight villages, 1392 are baptized, and 303
are communicants. There are also 443 boys and 250
girls in the various schools.

The Rev. J. J. Thomas has the charge of the com-
paratively new station at Meignanapuram, about six
miles to the north-east of Satankullum. A mission-
house has lately been built there, and the liberality
of friends in England has provided funds for the
erection of a substantial gothic Church and a con-
venient School-house. Mr. Thomas has the charge
of forty-seven villages, in which there are 3384 per-
sons who have joined our congregations, 1434 of whom
are baptized, and 240 are communicants.

In the Suveisashapuram district, adjoining that of
Satankullum on the south, the Rev. J. J. Miillerf

• Part I. Letter 14.

t Since the above was written, it has been arranged.

dbyGoOgk

lb -

re. Cpw^riiK

PROVIN'CE

TiNXEVEtLir.

dbyGoogk

DISTRICTS. 63

has the spiritual superintendence of 4493 persons
dispersed in sixty-four villages — 996 of these are
baptized, but I do not know the exact number of
communicants. There are boys' and girls' schools
both in this and in Meignanapuram districts.

The district of Dohnavoor to the south of Palam-
cottah, contains 1615 persons under instruction,
residing in forty-three different villages, 379 are bap-
tized, and twenty-eight are communicants.

The last formed district is that of Nalloor, ex-
tending over the northern part of the province. Here
the Eev. P. P. Schaffter has had the care of ninety-
four villages and 3277 souls — 1127 of these are bap-
tized, and 270 are communicants. For the present
this district is under the charge of the Rev. Stephen
Hobbs, as Mr. and Mrs. Schaffter left India in July
last on account of their health, and have returned to
Europe on a visit to their family and friends. Mrs,
Schaffter's female school, the first established in Tin-
nevelly, is left under the care of Miss Hobbs, who
was sent out by the Society for Female Education in
China and the East.

These numerous congregations have placed them-

that Mr. MiiUer should, on account of his health, pay
a visit to Europe, and the Bev. E. Sargent should have
the charge of the district. The Revs. J. T. Tucker and
Sept. Hobbs have also joined the Tinnevelly Mission, and
Mr. Spratt, from- the Madras Institution, is appointed to it.

dbyGoOgk

64 LBTTEK VL

selves under Christian instruction from various mo-
tives and under various circumstances ; but generally
the movement begins from a few persons, who having
heard something of Christianity, perhaps on a visit
to a neighbouring village, persuade others to join
them in requesting the nearest Missionary to send
them a Catechist.

I shall give you a few particulars of a village which
joined Mr. Pettitt in 1841, as it will give you some
insight into the general state of society. It is a
small place lying to the south of Palamcottah, dnd is
inhabited by Shanars, though the whole belongs to a
Bramin who resides at some little distance. Part of
the inhabitants applied to Mr. Pettitt to be received
among his congregations, and the proprietor hearing
of this, went to the village to make inquiries on
the subject. Assembling the people together, he
addressed them to the following purport : — " I hear
that some of you have determined to learn the
new Vedam — now I do not wish to have any divi-
sions or quarrels in my village, nor shall there be
two parties here. Therefore all of you either remain in
a body in your old religion, or else all join the new.
If you like to embrace Christianity, do so ; I shall
not oppose you; and, if you like, you may turn your
temple into a prayer house. Only all be of the same
mind, and if you do not act justly towards me, I
shall look to the Missionaries to see me righted."

dbyGoogk

STEEEVYGOQirDFM. 65

The concluding sentence betrays the motive by
which the Bramin was actuated ; but may we not trace
the over-ruling hand of God in making use of this
man's worldliness to bring a larger number under
the sound of the gospel ? For the result was, that
the first applicants were joined by the rest of the
village, so that 200 have thus been brought under
Christian instruction; they have demolished their
idols, valued at 200 rupees, and have given up their
demon temple to become a temple of the living God.

During one of the Rev. J. Tucker's sojourns in
Tinnevelly, he had been visiting some of the villages,
accompanied by the Rev. E. Sargent ; and on leaving
one of them, they saw two men running after their
palanquins, and evidently wishing to speak to them.
They stopped, and found that they came from Streevy-
goondum, a large town on the river Thumberavany;
that having been accidentally present during their
visit to the village, a desire had been excited to hear
more of Christianity, (of which they had known
nothing before), and they earnestly entreated Mr.
Tucker and Mr. Sargent to return with them to their
native place. As it was Christmas Eve, and they
wished to spend the next day at Palamcottah, they
could not then return, but promised to do so at some
future time. The report of the two young men had,
however, awakened the curiosity of their friends, and
a few days afterwards a party of them arrived at

Digitized by VjOOQIC

66 LETTER VI.

Palamcottah, begging they might be visited without
delay. Accordingly, on January 5th, Mr. Tucker,
with the Rev. John Devasagayam, set out to this
hitherto unvisited spot ; and I shall give you the
account in his own words : —

" We reached Streevygoondum at about half-past
six in the morning. I told you before, the object of
our visit. Some people of the Vell^lei caste came
over to Palamcottah, and offered to place themselves
under Christian instruction. The whole number of
families was sixty. The Vellaleis are a high subdivi-
sion of the Soodras, though of course far below the
Bramins. Almost as soon as we crossed the river,
we came to high mud walls. This is the abode of the
Vell^eis. They inhabit an extensive mud fort, into
which none are admitted but Vellaleis, and the barber,
washerman, carpenter, &c. From this mud fort the
women never come forth, nor are they overlooked by
any buildings, so that, from their birth to the day of
their death, they are prisoners : and see neither man,
woman, nor child, except a Vellalei. We passed by
this dreary fort, and near the large pagoda of Vish-
noo, and came to the Choultry, in which we were to
spend the day. I can only describe it as if it were a
large open temple, supported by rough pillars of
granite, carved, the roof of flat granite stones ; the
sides were bricked up, and the centre was raised about
four feet. We put our palanquins on each side, and

dbyGoogk

STREBVTGOONIiUM. 67

ourselves took our seats on the raised part in the
middle^ with the lofty gates of the Siva pagoda
directly before us. We were soon surrounded by a
crowd, and had not long been seated, before five or six
brawny, strong-built men came to us, with presents of
plantains, sugar, and flowers, and one of them com-
menced an harangue ; the others standing by, with a
stern expression of indignation in their countenances,
such as I have seldom seen in India. They said they
were ^ Falleymar Velldleis* the occupants of the mud
fort, that they had learnt with astonishment that the
' Goteinar Velldleis,* who inhabit the same fort, had
applied to us to teach them the Vedam (the Scrip-
tures) ; that the consequences of their learning the
Scripture would be most serious, for that they had
been their slaves for 1000 years, and it was their
destiny to be slaves for ever ; that it was the part of
the Goteinar women always to attend upon their (the
Palleymar's) wives ; that by old established custom
their wives never saw any human being but them-
selves; were bom, lived, and died within the fort,
and knew nothing but the sun and moon ; that now
they would have no one to attend upon them, and
they would be driven to the dreadful necessity of
burning themselves upon the pile. How could I
assist in such horrors as these 1 How could I be a
charitable gentleman if I caused their wives to perish
in the flames ?

F 2

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Q8 LETTEB VI.

"I endeavoured to interrupt the harangue from
time to time; I reminded them that we were not
come among them as magistrates, or collectors, but as
ministers of Jesus Christ ; that if thej were willing,
we would establish a school for them also, and teach
them our Vedam, (this they indignantly rejected,)
that as to their women burning themselves, they were
well aware that the magistrates would not allow it,
and that I must tell them plainly what our Master
had commanded us to do. I then read to them, ' Go
ye into all the world,' <kc. : and I assured them, it
was our fixed determination to obey His command,
and that nothing they could say would hinder us.
They said the Coteinars were every thing that was
bad ; to which I replied, that then they were just the
persons who wanted the Gospel, and for whom it was
designed. At last, they became so noisy and violent,
that I was obliged to request them to take their
leave, upon which they reluctantly retired, and sat
down for some time near the gate of the pagoda,
talking in an angry tone among themselves. We
then had our breakfast, during which the people
stood around us, never having (they said), seen a
European eat before, much less a native,* sitting and
partaking of the same food as an equal. During, and
after breakfast, we kept up conversations, or rather
discussions, with the people, who argued in the usual
♦ The Rev. J. Devasagayam.

dbyGoogk

STEEEVTGOONDUM. 69

way, — ^that there were four Vedams, each equally
good ; that there was no difference between good and
evil, &c. ; whilst we endeavoured to set before them
their sinful state, and the misery of sin, and to direct
them to Christ, as their Saviour.

" When the breakfast was cleared away, and while
we were keeping up these conversations, we heard the
ringing of bells within the pagoda ; the lofty gates
were thrown open, and an elephant, adorned witM bells
made his appearance ; next to him a band of tom-
toms, and after them a procession of eight or ten
Bramins, with young boys in their train. The ele-
phant and tom-toms stepped aside ; and the Bramins
came forward, bearing presents of cocoa-nuts, plan-
tains, and garlands of sweet-scented flowers. These
being duly disposed of, one of them, in the name of
the rest, commenced his address; our proteges, the
<3oteinar Vellaleis, standing opposite to them, as they
had done in the case of the former deputation. The
contrast between the Bramins and the former speakers,
the Palleymar Vellaleis, was very marked. The latter
had manifested the haughty and stem spirit of unedu-
cated men ; but the manner of the Bramins was dis-
tinguished by more politeness and subtlety, and more
bitterness of contempt ; they bore the appearance of
profligate men. The proem of their speech was,
according to the rules of Aristotle, and the example
of TertuUus, designed to gain a victory by flattering

dbyGoogk

70 LETTEB VI.

compliments; but the introduction harmonized as
little with what followed, as the fruits and flowers
with the rest of the scene."

The remainder of this history may soon he told.
The result of the visit was, that a school was estab-
lished among the Coteinars, and a catechist appointed
occasionally to visit them. The Palleymars, however,
indignant at their slaves presuming to think for
themselves, made their lives still more bitter with
hard bondage, and at last forced them to yield. One
day, as one of the missionaries was sitting in his room
at Palamcottah, a young man presented himself at the
door, with his cloth drawn over his face. On being
asked what was the matter, he exclaimed, " Oh ! they
are all gone back!" It appeared that the poor
Coteinars, unable to resist the persecutions of their
masters, had broken up the school, and withdra?m
from Christian instruction. The young man who*
thus brought the intelligence, (and who was one of
the two who originally followed Mr. Tucker and Mr.
Sargent,) and two or three others, were the only ones
who had remained firm.

They removed from Streevygoondum, and settled
near Palamcottah. The subsequent history of the
others I do not know ; but this young man has gone
on stedfastly in his Christian course, and is now, I
believe, a catechist.

How often do we see, that even in the most dis-

ci by Googk

STREEVTGOONDTTM. 71

couraging cases, the word of God does not return to
him wholly, ^^void," and surely we may rejoice with
thanksgiring, if only " one of a city, and two of a
family," are brought unto Zion,
I remain,

My dear Lucy,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

72 LETTER YIl.

LETTER VII.

I HAVE two reasons, my dear Luor, for dwelling more
at large on the Tinnevelly Mission than I might
probably have otherwise done; one is, that I have
fortunately had opportunities of personal intercourse
with several missionaries who have been lately resid-
ing there, and the other, that by so doing I shall
more fully meet your own wishes.

Indeed I well know what peculiar interest you
take in this field of missionary work — this spot which
has long called forth the love, the sympathy, and
prayers, the hopes and fears of so many of God's
servants in India and in England, and which has
endured such struggles and sittings, from the divi-
sions of brethren within and the opposition of the
heathen without. « How many an eye has glistened
with a tear, how many a heart has sent up prayer
and praise to God, as it watched this infant church
through its troubled course, and now trembled, now
rejoiced, at the many perils through which God has
carried it !

Truly this garden of the Lord has experienced the
keen north wind as well as the gentle southern breeze;

dbyGoogk

STATE OP MISSION. 73

but in their turn they have caused the spices to send
forth a fragrance that reaches even to us, and not-
withstanding many a defect and many a deficiency, it
has yielded, and we firmly trust will still yield, many
a pleasant fruit to Him who planted it.

Twenty-five years ago Tinnevelly was full of idols ;
2700 pagodas, and 10,000 demon temples defiled the
land ; and all was darkness except the remaining rays
of light that glimmered here and there in some
village under the care of the Society for Propagating
the Gospel.

Who that knew it then would have dared to anti-
cipate what it is now Hkely to become? Who could
have ventured to hope that, in the use of the ordinary
means of grace, the labours of so very small a number
of Missionaries should have been so blessed; that in
connexion with the Church Missionary Society alone
our church numbers, as I have just told you, within
her pale, nearly 6600 baptized persons, 1200 commu-
nicants, besides more* than 14,000 others who have
renounced their idols and submitted to the instruction
and discipline of the Church.* No pagoda has yet
been deserted, but many demon temples have been
destroyed and Christian houses of prayer erected
where they stood.

But do not, dear Lucy, imagine that I mean that

* The Society for Propagating the Gospel has also many
thousands under instruction..

dbyGoOgk

74 LBTTBB Vn.

all these 14,000 inquirers are actuated by high and
holy motives, or that the baptized never go astray,
or that even the communicants have attained
the full measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ. The church in Tinnevelly is just what all
churches have been and all churches will be till the
Lord himself shall come to reign — ^it is a net that
encloses fish of every kind, bad as well as good; — a
field in which tares are mingled with the wheat, for
here, as everywhere, " Many are called, but few are
chosen."

To those who know the debasing power of idolatry,
it will not seem a small thing that this sin which
God so specially denounces should be losing ground ;
that the sound oi salvation should be proclaimed
throughout the land; that thousands should have
given up their open immoralities, and that some of
Christ's sheep should be gathered " out of this
naughty world," even though they still form com-
paratively but a " little flock."-

Some of the inquirers are evidently moved by a
sense of sin to seek a Saviour ; but the greater part
are led by lower, and some it is to be feared by mere
worldly motives; and even among the communicants
there is often a want of firmness and consistency that
costs the missionary many a pang, but which we
shall cease to wonder at when we remember that they
were brought up in idolatry and open sin, and were

dbyGoogk

PEBSEOTITIONS. 75

taught by their heathen parents that falsehood and
deceit are only wrong when they are detected.

The Christians in Tinneyelly have much to endure
that is very trying to the natural heart. Not only
are they continually exposed to the taunts and insults
of their heathen neighbours, but frequently actual
force is made use of to prevent them from joining
our congregations, or to draw them back if they have
done so.

In the northern district the great enemies are the
Zemindars ; and I could give you many instances of
their injustice and oppression. In one place they
have by violent threats prevented the people from
finishing a little chapel they had begun to build,
and at another obliged them with their own hands
to pull down one they had just before joyfully
erected, leaving them no retreat but a stable for
daily instruction and worship. Nor is it easy for the
injured to obtain any redress in cases where the
offenders have no scruple in employing perjury and
dissimulation to support their cause.

The Zemindar of Ootamalei is especially active in
his endeavours to stop the progress of Christianity.
He exercises a kind of lordship over a very large
number of villages, and is continually devising some
means of annoyance and injury to the Christians
among them. The latest act of violence I have
heard was at a village called Komanoor, where he

dbyGoogk

76 LETTER VII.

surrounded the church during the time of Divine
worship, with armed men, drove the congregation out
of it, and destroyed the building. In this case, how-
ever, the law has interfered, and for the present he
refrains from outward acts of persecution.

But notwithstanding all this opposition, the Word
of God still makes progress in the northern district.
During the laiA year of Mr. Schaffter's abode there,
fifteen villages put themselves under instruction, and
in his last circuit among the congregations, 140 per-
sons, including children, were baptized.

In one case, the Zemindar himself was made the
unconscious instrument of spreading the very truth
he was labouring to destroy. Two young men,
weavers, being driven from their homes by his perse-
cution and unjust claims, fled to a distant village to
the north. For a long time nothing was known of
them ; but about a year ago, Mr. Schaffter had the
comfort of hearing from them, and of finding that
God had greatly blessed them in their place of
refuge. Shut out as they were from all outward
means of grace, and dwelling in the midst of heathen,
they had not only continued stedfast themselves, but
had prevailed on three families of their new neigh-
bours to renounce idolatry, and to place themselves
under Christian instruction. They sent to request a
catechist might be appointed to their village, but
unhappily there was none to send; and the only

dbyGoogk

PBESECUTIONS. 77

arrangement that could be made was, that a distant
one should occasionally visit them.

In the south, the spirit of opposition from the
heathen has lately assumed a more fierce and deter-
mined aspect. The principal people in the large towns
of Trichendoor and Alvar Tinnevelly collected toge-
ther, to the number of 300 or 400, and not daring
openly to attack Protestant Christianity by name,
have contrived, as they hope, a mode of destroying it
by a sidelong blow. They formed themselves into a
society called the "Viboothi Sangam," or "Ashes
Society," the members of which are required to swear,
by the sacred ashes, that they will be true to the old
religion and the customs of the country, and firm in
their opposition to Christianity. Their chief object
is to insist upon every native continuing to smear his
forehead with ashes, well knowing that a compliance
with this heathenish custom, is in fact a renunciation
of the Gospel. Regulations were made by the people
of Alvar Tinnevelly, that none should enter the town
for the purpose of buying and selling, without this
badge of Siva on their forehead.*

Messages were sent to the headmen of the different
villages, who had lately put themselves under Chris-

* This affects the congregations belonging both to the
Society for Propagating the Gospel and the Church Mis-
sionary Society, but does not touch the Roman Catholics,
as among them the use of ashes on the forehead is allowed,
when they mix with heathen at fairs, markets, &c.

dbyGoOgk

78 LfiETEB vn,

tian instruction, to demand their attendance at Trich-
endoor, where many were induced by threats of vio-
lence to backslide. Mobs, in one instance, to the
number of 500, assembled in diflferent places, and
attacked several villages, pulling down prayer-houses,
robbing houses, turning people by force out of places
of worship, and forcing them to smear their faces with

You will anxiously inquire what the result has
been 1 Alas ! many hundreds in the district of Palam-
cottah, and as many as 1000 in that of Meignanapu-
ram, alarmed at the violence of their enemies, and
deprived of their usual means of disposing of the pro-
duce of their labour, have renounced Christ. How
many of these have, in their secret soul, repented of
their sinfiil fears, and would fain cut off the hand that
placed the guilty mark upon their brow, we have no
means of knowing ; but our prayers may ascend to
Him who turned and looked upon Peter, that many of
these may yet be saved, though as by fire.

I must, however, tell you, that the defection
occurred almost entirely from among those congrega-
tions who had lately joined us; not one baptized
person, and only a very few of those who had been for
any length of time under instruction, could be pre-
vailed on to comply. Indeed, the attempt was chiefly
made on the newly-formed congregations, the older
ones were left quietly to themselves ; and, upon the

dbyGoogk

PERSECUTIONS. 79

whole, the opposition of the enemies of the Gospel
has rather established, than hindered, the work of
God among the people of Tinnevelly.

The places of those who have fallen back into
idolatry have been more than supplied by new
inquirers; in the district of Suveisashapuram, one
thousand three hundred and eighty-two persons have
come forward within the last year, and several hun-
dreds have done the same in that of Palamcottah.

In the districts of Satankullum and Meignanapu-
ram, where the persecutions of the " Viboothi Sangam"
has been the most violent and determined, but few
fresh persons have, during the last year, put them-
selves under Christian instruction ; but those who
have remained stedfast, have shown an increased
desire for the means of grace. In the former district,
the number of baptisms in 1842 was four hundred
and eighty-five, the increase in the number of com-
municants was on^ hundred and seventy, and many of
those residing in villages where the Lord's Supper
is administered only once in the quarter, have lately
come over every month, several miles to Satankullum,
that they may have the privilege of more frequently
receiving it.

During the same year, the increase in the num-
ber of communicants in the district of Meignana-
puram was between /o/fy and fifty, and the baptisms
amounted to four hundred and thirty-seven. The

dbyGoogk

80 LETTER VII.

Christmas Day of 1841, when the persecution was at
its height, will long be remembered at the village of
Pragasapuram ; for there, on that day, no fewer than
oTie hundred and nine persons publicly showed they
were neither afraid nor ashamed to profess the faith
of Christ crucified, and received the sign of adoption
into the family of Glt>d.*

Thus, my dear Lucy, as in the times of the apostles,
the efforts of God's enemies against His Church, have
" fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel."
I remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* The congregation in this village is in a very encou-
raging state; there are 600 persons belonging to it, of
whom sixty-three are communicants.

dbyGoOgk

LETTER VIII.

My Deab Luot,

The Missionaries in Tinnevelly generally pass eight
or ten days in every month among the different vil-
lages in their districts, but after the account I have
given you of the number each Missionary has under
his care,* you will not be surprised that few of the
congregations are visited by them more than three
or four times in the year, and the more distant ones .
not oftener than once or twice.

The care of the people during the intermediate
time is entrusted to the native Catechists, two of
whom are sometimes appointed to one of the larger
villages, while if the number of Christians or inquirers
is small, one Oatechist often has the superintendence
of several congregations. Schools also are established
to as great an extent as funds or teachers can be
found.

Each Missionary assembles the Catechists and
schoolmasters of his own district once a month, to
hear their report of their several charges, to examine
into their own progress, to read with them and in-
struct them, and to make arrangements for the
ensuing month. They usually spend from the

* See Letter 6.

dbyGoogk

82 LBTTEE Vin.

Saturday till the Tuesday in this manner, and the
administration of the Lord's Supper on the Sunday,
strengthens the bond of union among those who
spiritually partake of it.

This plan is, as you will suppose, far from being
properly efficient, yet with the present small number
of Missionaries, it is probably the best that can be
adopted.

And now I must invite you to accompany the
Missionary on one of his visits to a distant village, and
to participate in some degree in his feelings of love,
and joy, and hope, as well as of sorrow and dis-
appointment.

We will suppose ourselves in one of the Southern
districts, where, as I have already told you, the
country is extremely flat, and a considerable part of
it is covered with extensive palmyra groves, among
which are scattered the numerous Sh^ar villages.
The roads or rather wide paths that lead from one
place to another, are sometimes irregular openings
cut through a thick wood of natural growth, and
sometimes pass through regular lines of trees planted
by the hand of man.

A remarkable feature in this part of the country,
especially towards the coast, is the occasional occur-
rence of what are called "thairies," or plains of
barren sand in the very midst of a palmyra forest.
As you ride along, you observe no symptom of

dbyGoogk

THAiaiES. 83

'approaching barrenness, except perhaps that the
trees may be rather lower and less vigorous in their
growth, till you suddenly find yourself on the edge of
one of these plains, or rather succession of low sand
hills, and after riding and walking (for in some parts
it is not safe to ride) three or four miles across it, it as
suddenly ceases, and you again find yourself among the
palmyras. These thairies appear to be caused by
violent eddies of wind, ploughing the sand into deep
furrows, or collecting it into hillocks ; though why
these eddies should occur in these particular spots is
still unexplained. They are supposed to be of recent
formation, for sometimes a strong wind has, as it
swept along, laid bare the household implements and
vessels of some former inhabitants, giving, it is to be
feared, too sure a proof of -the destruction of human
habitations. There is reason to think they are
gradually extending ; and fears are entertained lest
one village in particular, that stands on the edge of
one of them, should shortly share the fate of those
already buried.

But we will leave these spots of desolation and
pursue our journey. Should the friend we are travel-
ling with doubt if he has taken the right direction,
and ask any of the people we may meet, the way to
such and such a place, you will be surprised at the
terms in which the answer is given. Instead of
bidding you to turn to the rigM or to the lefty as we

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Si LETTEE Vin.

should do in England^ they will tell 70a to go
towards the SoiUhy or towards the North, or to bear
ofif towards the Easty &q, ; and so general is this
reference to the points of the compass, that I have
been told by a friend who has often visited the
schools, that if one boy wishes another to move a
little one way or the other, he always uses the
expression, North, South, East, and West.

Perhaps if it is the spring or summer, we may be
startled as we draw near the village, by an unex-
pected sound of welcome high above our heads, and
looking up we may see a man at the top of some tall
palmyra, bidding us " Good day," and inviting us to
a morning draught of "Puthaneer." We cannot
please him better than by accepting his simple
courtesy, and in a shorter time than I can write it,
he will have descended the tree, bringing with him a
leaf which is to serve us for a cup. Gathering
together the long points of the outer edge, and giving
them a peculiar twist, he in a moment has made a
little boat, into which he pours the puthaneer, and
both natives and Europeans agree, that it is never so
refreshing as when thus fresh from the tree, and
drunk from one of these leafen vessels.

As you draw still nearer the place of your destina-
tion, you will most likely hear a drum, for if the
people know of the intended visit, they will have
sent out a boy to watch the Missionary's approach.

dbyGoogk

VISIT TO A VILLAaE. 85

and give notice to prepare for him. All is eagerness
and bustle — ^the children hurry out to welcome him,
each hoping to get a smile, or a look, or a word of
recognition from this messenger of glad tidings, whose
heart may well yearn over these lambs of the flock,
and commend them in faith and prayer to their
gracious Shepherd, to " carry them in His arms and
bear them in his bosom."

It is now about seven in the morning, and as I am
describing a week-day visit, most of the men are
probably out at work ; but as he passes up the
street, many a pleasant look and " Salaam-iyah,"*
await him from the women, who, with their infants
on their sides, come out of their doors to greet him.

With a full and anxious heart he makes his way
to the church, or rather praper^hottsey for though now
and then the building is of brick and chunam, and
as large as a village school-room in England, it is
much oftener a mere hut with walls of mud, about
four or sometimes five feet high, and a roof of
palmyra leaves ; a few slits are left in the walls to i
serve as windows, but the heat and closeness are
almost insufferable.

Here, while his breakfast is preparing, the Mission-
ary will collect together as many of the people as he
can for morning prayer and exposition, and afterwards
he will examine them as to the progress they have
* Literally, " Peace to you, Teacher."

dbyGoOgk

86 LETTEB Vni.

made since his last visit, inquiring into their con-
duct, and endeavouring as much as possible to get
acquainted with their real state.

As 70U listen to their answers and observations,
you will occasionally be forcibly struck to observe
/ how the natural heart is the same in all climates and
[ under all circumstances ; the same in the almost un-
I tutored Shdnar, as in the early taught and carefully
{ disciplined member of an English congregation.

How often, even in a place where the true way of
salvation is plainly declared from the pulpit Sunday
afler Sunday, and where the teaching in the Sunday-
school has been "line upon line, precept upon pre-
cept," that Cheist aUme is the way, the truth, and
the life — ^how often, dear Lucy, do you not find,
both in conversation with adults, and in questioning
the young,, that repentance, or prayer, or obedience
is dwelt on as the ground of the sinner's hope and of
reconciliation to God ! And so it is in Tinnevelly ;
brought out of heathenism, and desirous of instruc-
tion, these poor people long cling to the law of works
so congenial to the natural heart ; and too often is the
Missionary pained and disappointed by their confiised
or erroneous views on that all-important point. And
yet there are some among them, whose simple faith
gladdens his spirit, and whose quiet faithful answers,
or intelligent though silent looks, will find a response
in your own heart, and awaken "joyful, tearful'*

dbyGoogk

VISIT. TO A VILLAGE. 87

praise to Him who so often choses tlie weak things
of the world, and while hid from the wise and
learned; reveals Himself to the lowly.

About noon the Missionary has prayers again, and
now the congregation is considerably increased, for
the men have come in from their work to rest during
the heat of the day ; and the visit of a Missionary is
so welcome, and, alas ! so rare an occurrence, that
the greater part of them suffer neither weariness nor
indolence to keep them from the house of God.

The sound of the church-going bell is as yet un-
known in the palmyra forests, but in its place, the
people are summoned to Divine worship by a rude
kind of drum,* made from the root of the palmyra
hollowed out ; a buffalo's hide is stretched over it,
and fastened down with thongs, or nailed round the
edge, and before it is used, it is brought out to stand
a little while in the sun to tighten the skin, or in wet
weather it is held over a lighted bunch of straw.
The boys are generally the performers, and it is often
a subject of eager ambition among them, who is the
best and loudest little drummer.

The afternoon is partly spent as the morning, and
partly taken up in examining the schools, settling
disputes, and conversing with any who wish it. All
this time the heathen (if the village is only partly
Christian), though they will not enter the little

* In some of the larger villages a ghurree has lately
been introduced. See Letter 9.

dbyGoogk

8S LETTER Vni.

Church, are peeping in at the door or listening at the
windows, receiying, it may be, some scattered grains
of heavenly wisdom to spring up " after many days."

Occasionally the Missionary has the painfiil task
of separating from the congregation some who have
proved themselves unworthy of the privilege, either
by allowing their families to intermarry with
heathens, or by persisting in an habitual neglect
of the means of grace.

When the sun gets low and the air is cool, he
often walks about the village, ministering to the sick
and visiting some of the people in their own cottages,
and if the village is a small one, he will be able to
leave it the same evening. If night comes on before
he reaches his next place of destination, he may, if tra-
velling on horseback, chance to lose his way, and will
probably think it prudent to stop at the first favour-
able spot, where, under some friendly tree, he may
spread his leathern bed upon the ground, and safely
rest till morning.

On one of these occasions the Missionary having
dismounted, and made his simple arrangements for
the night, strolled about till he came unexpectedly
upon a little Braminee village ; there were some
children playing about, and as he spoke Teloogoo,
and knew that this is their familiar language, he
addressed them in it. The children, surprised to
hear it spoken by any but their own people, particu-
larly by an European, ran into the village to tell of

dbyGoogk

• BEAMINEE VILLAGE. 89

the wonderful event, that they had seen a white man
who spoke Teloogoo ! Three of the Bramins came
out to ascertain the truth of this extraordinary
assertion, and finding the Missionary under the tree,
to which he had by this time returned, sat down,
and entered into conversation with him on the sub-
ject of religion, making many inquiries with regard
to Christianity. After about an hour's talk, one of
them got up, and telling his friends to wait till he
came back, made towards the village. Presently he
returned, bringing with him a pot of milk, and some
wood and straw for the horse ; all of which he in-
sisted on the Missionary's accepting, nor would he
take any remuneration for the seasonable supply.

Resuming his seat on the ground, he again joined in
the conversation, and from 7 o'clock till 10 at night
was thus spent, under the starry canopy of heaven, in
quietly discoursing on subjects of eternal interest.
Who can refrain from breathing a secret prayer, that
one or all of these may be found among the hidden
ones, when the Lord " makes up His jewels."*

I must reserve any account of a Sunday visit to a
distant congregation for a future letter, and will now
only add that I am, as ever,

" Your affectionate friend,
S. T.

* Little incidents like this are not unfreqnent, and it
may be hoped that much indhrect good is done in this way-w

dbyGoogk

LETTER IX.

My Deae Lucy,

I SHALL select Kaddichapuram as the Tillage to
whicli we will pay our Sunday visit ; but before we
proceed there, I must give you a little account of
its origin and growth.

Many years ago, in the time of the Rev. C.
Rhenius, a Society was formed, called the " Native
Philanthropic Society," one of whose principal objects
should be to purchase land for Christian Villages,
where the converts might be sheltered from the
violence and persecution of their heathen neigh-
bours, and might be brought more within the reach
of regular instruction and superintendence.* This
Society, supported by voluntary contributions, still
subsists, and as many as/or^y of these little cities of
/ refuge have, one after another, risen up in the
different districts.

The general plan has been to fix upon some small
village, where the whole of the inhabitants are under
Christian instruction, and where some, or all of the
land is to bie disposed of This is purchased by the

* This plan was originally introduced by the Society
for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Their stations of
Moodeloor and Nazareth are both of this description.

dbyGoOgk

KADATOHAPUBAM. 91

Society^ and the Missionary begins by persuading the
people to pull down their few miserable straggling
huts^ and to rebuild them more neatly, and in regular
order.* Christians from the neighbouring Tillages
are inyited, or permitted to settle there, and by
degrees a regular street is formed and planted, and
the place begins to assume an air of comfort unknown
before.

Kadatchapuramt was one of the earliest Christian
Tillages, and one street was added to another, till
there are now four running parallel to each other
and one or two that cross them at right angles.

By degrees the mud house of prayer was found too
small for the increasing population ; a larger one
capable of containing 150 persons, was built of brick
and chujiam ; and those who worshipped there lite*
rally trod underfoot their former idolatry, for some
of their broken idols were laid as steps for the
entrance.

But still the congregation continued to increase ;
the prayer house was again become too small, and
neither the Missionary (the Bot. C. Blackman) nor the
people could be satisfied without a larger and more
appropriate place of worship.

* The Christian cottages do not differ from the heathen
in their form or materials, only in being neater and
better built.

+ " The village of Love."— It is in the district of Sfitan-
kidlam.

dbyGoOgk

92 LETTER IX.

But what was to be done for funds 1 The Church
Missionary Society could afford no pecuniary aid, and
the Missionary could not of course, undertake it on
his own responsibility. — Undeterred by difficulties,
Mr. Blackman, in a spirit of prayer and perseverance,
applied to friends at Madras — ^to his fellow-labourers
in Tinnevelly, and to the congregation themselves to
assist him in this good work. — All these appeals were
responded to, and it was a peculiar joy to him, to find
the headman of the village encouraging the people to
do all they could ; to hear of 150 of them setting out
to fetch each a load of tiles from a place ten miles
distant ; and to receive subscriptions of a rupee each,
from persons whose earnings amounted to only two
rupees a month, and who thus ungrudgingly con-
tributed a fortnight's livelihood to build a house
of God.

Mr. Blackman commenced the work, and in June,
1841, a neat, substantial Church, eighty feet in length,
and capable of containing six hundred persons, was
opened for Divine worship ; the Missionaries, both of
the Church Missionary Society, and of the Society
for Propagating the Gospel attended, and the Church
was filled to overflowing. The whole cost was less
than £160.*

* A small debt of ^13. still remains unpaid, and there
axe a few things still wanted to complete it, e.g., a pulpit,
communion plate, &c.

dbyGoOgk

KADATOHAPUBAM. 93

Let US now proceed to our promised visit there,
and we will^hoose a Sunday when the Missionary
himself will be present. Mr. Blackman always visited
it once a month, and arriving about half- past six in
the morning, began by having the early morning
prayers, and gave notice of the time of public worship.
The drum has here given place to a ^^ghurree,'' a round
plate of brass, which is suspended from a tree, and
when struck with a wooden mallet, produces a sound
that at some distance might be mistaken for a bell.

Half an hour before the service, the ghurree is
struck to summon the people "to praise and pray,"
and long before the time arrives the Church is filled.
The absence of both desk and pulpit prevents it at
present from having so church-like an appearance as
our own places of worship, and the want of them is
supplied by merely a table and a small desk upon a
stand. The clear open space is filled on one side by
men, and on the other by women, all sitting cross-
legged on the ground, and the women with their
cloths so arranged as to cover the head, and a great
part of the face. Many of them bring their infants,
and though this does not, as you may suppose,
increase the quietness of the service, yet it would be
hard to deprive these poor mothers of any of the
means of grace of which they so much stand in need.
The school girls sit on one side of the desk, and thet
school boys on the other.

dbyGoogk

94 LETTER IX.

And now let us listen to our beautiful Liturgy in
Tamul, from the lips of one, in whom all that love
the Lord must feel peculiar interest — ^the Rev. John
Devasagayam,* who, during Mr. Blackman's absence
has, as I have told you, been put in charge of the
Satankullam district. He still retains his native
dress, but has added to it, as the distinguishing mark
of an ordained minister, a belt of black cloth, and
wears the surplice and scarf both when reading and
preaching.

As the service proceeds, you hear the responses
clearly and accurately made by the children and
others in the congregation ; for though, from want
of fiinds, but few of the people can be supplied with
prayer books, the quickness of their minds, and their
retentive memories have made them familiar with
great part of the service. They are fond too of
joining in the Tamul hymns, which are sung to
English tunes, as in our own village churches.

In the sermon, the plan of occasionally stopping to
ask the people questions, is found very useful in
keeping up their attention as well as in ascertaining
how far they understand what they hear. They do
not always wait to be asked ; a nod of the head,
accompanied by a half expressed " Mai thdrC' (that
is quite true) sometimes expresses their interest and
assent ; and often when the Missionary alludes to
♦ See Part I. Letter 14.

dbyGoogk

KADATCHAPURAM, 95

some text, and pauses while lie turns to his Bible for
the exact words, some of the people will repeat aloud
different passages which seem to them appropriate.* •

After the sermon the greater part of the congre-
gation retire, but some remain behind to gather round
the table of the Lord ; and your heart will overflow
to see these, once under the open dominion of the
prince of darkness, now coming forward to partake
of the feast which is there prepared for them.

As you watch them, one by one, approach to
take their places, your eye will probably rest on an
aged woman, whose worn and shabby cloth (though
neat and clean) bespeaks her poverty, but whose
placid thoughtful countenance is a fit index of the
spirit of peace and holiness that dwells within. When
Mr. Blackman took charge of this village, six years
ago, he could not help observing the appearance of
this woman ; always in her place, and always atten-

* In one of the latest accounts from the Rev. John
Devasagayam, he mentions a good old man at the village of
Anagragapnram, above eighty-four years of age, who never
would leave the Church till he had repeated the text of
the sermon to the Catechist, and had assured himself that
he knew it correctly. When too ill to walk by himself,
he was supported to the house of God by his two sons.
He has since entered into eternal rest, full of joy and
hope, leaving behind him a widow of nearly the same age
as himself, who, in the midst of her tears can rejoice in
the prospect of so soon following him to what he used to
call ** the good house in heaven."

dbyGoOgk

96 LETTEB IX.

tive, her quiet intelligent countenance seemed as if
she were drinking in every word that fell from the
messenger of God, and receiving it to the instruction
and refreshment of her soul. On inquiry, he found
she was a widow, suffering from poverty and want of
health, but whose heart the Lord had opened, and
who, like Anna the prophetess, was unwearied in her
attendance on the means of grace. At the end of a
year she was baptized, and became a regular com-
municant ; and as at that time the Lord's supper was
not administered ^t Kadatchapuram, she used every
month to walk over to S^itankullam (a distance of
five miles) and back again, that she might enjoy this
means of spiritual sustenance.

She cannot read, but is very fond of having the
word of God read to her ; and often gets the school-
mistress to read the Psalms, while she repays the
kindness by explaining passages into which her
greater spiritual experience gives her a deeper
insight. She has the comfort of seeing her daughter?
who was educated at the day school here, grow up a
young woman of piety and consistency ; she is now
married to the catechist of a neighbouring village,
and assists in one of the girls' schools.

The injunction in 1 Cor. xvi. 2. is literally carried
out in Tinnevelly. In every large village the
Catechist remains in the Church after the Sunday
service, to receive the offerings of the congregation

dbyGoogk

LOCAL SOCIETIES. 97

for the relief of those still poorer than themselves.
One woman will drop a piece of Kuripekutti into the
basket ; another a piece of oil cake ; and a few pice*
.will perhaps be brought by a third, in rather better
circumstances than the others. All these are dis-
tributed, as occasion may require, aaa'ong the destitute
and aged.

I must not leave the subject of the Sunday services
without mentioning the baptisms, which are generally
administered, as with us, after the second lesson.
The rite of baptism is in itself most interesting, but
it is peculiarly so in a heathen land, where it involves
a renunciation of the earliest associations, of the most
settled habits, and often of the most endeared re-
lations ; and requires more moral courage than we
perhaps can fully enter into. Happy is it when the
members of the same family are united also in the
bonds of the same holy faith ; and very affecting is
the sight when (as is not uncommon) the husband
and wife present themselves and their children to
receive, as a femily, the seal of the covenant of God.

The Native Philanthropic Society is only one of
several institutions that have been formed in Tinne-
velly for the temporal and spiritual advantage of the
people ; among others, there is a Catechists' Widows'
Fund, on the plan of our Benefit Societies ; a Native
Tract Society, for the publishing and circulating
* A small copper coin. *

Digitized by VjOOQIC

98 LETTER IZ.

original or translated tracts in Tamul ; and a Tamul
Book Society for the translation of larger work*
Watts* Scripture Catechism has just been completed
and published by it.

Lately the Missionaries have endeavoured to arouse
the native energies by establishing half-yearly prizes
among the catechists for the best Essays upon some
given subject. Two distributions have taken place,
and the Missionaries have been unexpectedly gratified
to find both the matter and style of the compositions
very superior to any thing they had expected

In December, 1840, Mr. Pettitt was one day agree-
ably surprised by an invitation to attend a meeting
among the natives at Asirvadapooram, a Christian
village in his district, for the formation of a " Church
Building Fund,^' The idea had originated with the
Inspecting Catechist, formerly a Maraver, who had
talked it over with his friends, and finding much
encouragement, proposed it to the Missionary. You
may suppose it was gladly listened to. Mr. Pettitt
attended the meeting ; about ten Catechists and from
forty to fifty headmen from various villages were
present ; rules were drawn up, and a liberal sum
subscribed on the spot. The principle of the Society
is, that every person capable of working, is to give
the best day's income of the whole year to the fund
with as much more as he pleases. Their first church
has already risen, a small and simple structure, but

dbyGoogk

CHtJECH BUILDING FUND. 99

substantially buHt, and capable of containing 100
persons. It is in the village of Tabthenkullam, and
was opened for Divine service by the Rev. G. Pettitt,
the Rev. J. Thomas, and the Rev. J. Devasagayam,
on June 1st, 1842.*

The neighbouring districts of SatankuUam and
Meign^apurum soon followed the example set them
at Asirvadapooram ; similar societies were established
there, and a branch one formed at Ead&tchapuram.
The subject appears to have taken deep root in the
minds of the people ; and though we well know that
a desire to promote the erection of churches may
exist without vital godliness ; yet situated as these poor
people are, it is a good token of their sincerity and
earnest desire for the means of grace.

M§i.j God bestow a blessing upon every means used
according to His word and will for the improvement
of these our brethren, distant indeed in space, but
united to us by the bond of fellowship in Christ Jesus
our common Iiord. I remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* On the first Anniversary Meeting of this Society'
in December, 1841, there were 300 persons present, all
of whom appeared much interested. It was held in the
open air, and Mr. Pettitt observed from fifteen to twenty
Heathens sitting under a neighbouring tree listening very
attentively, and saw them afterwai'ds put a few pice into
the collecting box.

dbyGoogk

100

LETTER X.

My Dear Luot,

Did it ever occur to you liow much of our present
knowledge we owe to India ? She is now so sunk in
ignorance that we can scarcely believe how brightly
human learning once shone in her ; and often forget
that the light of science we now enjoy has travelled
westward to us from beyond the Indus ; and yet such
is the fact ; as we have already seen,* society in India
was organized, and in some measure civilized long
before Europe was known in history ; and in later
times, arts and science flourished there, when England,
now her mistress, was, if inhabited at all, the abode
of painted savages.

Besides much that is less clearly traced, we know
that our present mode of numbering, and the elements
of algebra came from India, through Persia and
Arabia — ^their astronomical observations were accurate
. and laborious ; and they were at an early period
proficients in mental arithmetic.t But the mental

• Part I. Letter 3.

t It is worthy of remark, that time in India has been
from the remotest ages reckoned by weehj and that the
beginning and end of their weeks con'espond to ours.— But

dbyGoOgk

EDUCATION.

101

superiority of India soon waned ; poetry and his-
tory continued the longest above the horizon, but
the latter was so mixed with fable, that it is more
romance than a genuine chronicle of facts.

But when India is spoken of as being sunk in
ignorance, you must not suppose that her people are
in a state of unlettered barbarism. Their degrading
idolatry has indeed perverted every principle of true
science, yet there are still learned men among them ;
and throughout all classes, the men, generally speak-

it is a still more curious fact, that in the Tamul language
(perhaps alao in the others) the diflPerent days are named
after the same heavenly bodies, and in the same order as
in the western world, as the following wiU show : —

English,,

French. TamtU,

from

Sunday,

Monday,

Tuesday,(fromTuesco \
the Saxon Mars ) /

Wednesday, (Woden )
the Saxon Mercury. {

Thursday, (Thor, or )
Jupiter.) S

Friday, (Freya, or\
Venus.) J

Saturday,

Lundi

Mardi
Mercredi

Jeudi
Vendredi

Samedi

Naettuk- 1
kerami

Thingul-
kerami

Sevvaik-
kerami

Buthan-
ker^mi

Veyalak-
ker&mi

Vellik-
kerami

Sanekke-
rami

S Naeru,
I the Sun

\ Thingul,
( the Moon

i Sevvai,
I Mars.

{Buthan,
Mercury.

{Veyalam
Jupiter.

f Vein,
\ Venus.

( Sang.
I Saturn.

If it is the same in other countries and languages, would
H not lead to the idea that some measure of homage was
possibly paid to them before the confusion of tongues ?

dbyGoOgk

102 LETTEB X

ing, can read and write^ and know something of
arithmetic. Their minds are so quick, intelligent,
and eager, that they easily acquire whaterer they are
taught, but their characters are deficient in stability
and firmness, and require a steady mental culture and
moral discipline, which has hitherto been scarcely
attempted. The friends of missions are ererywhere
becoming increasingly alive to this, and anxious to
promote education on a broader and firmer basis;
but want of pecuniary means prevents the Church
Missionary Society from taking the more effectual
measures it has for some time contemplated.

At present, education in Tinnevelly is nearly con-
fined to the day schools in the Christian villages,
some of which have a master of their own, and some
are under the care of the Catechist. The most pro-
mising lads in these day schools are taken out and
placed in the Seminary at Palamcottah, where they
receive a better education ; and it is pleasant to know
that one of the former pupils, who was afterwards for
two or three years in Bishop Corrie's grammar school
at Madras, is now the master, under the superin-
tendence of the Rev. S. Hobbs, and discharges his
duty very satisfactorily. From the Seminary a
further selection is made of young men who are
prepared by the Missionaries* to act as future Cate-
chists in the different districts.

But besides the schools in Christian villages, the
* These are called "Preparandi classes/*

Digitized by VjOOQIC

EDUOATIONi 103

Church Missionarj Society has established a few
here and there in villages wholly heathen. These
have been undertaken at the urgent request of the
people, on the condition that they shall be entirely
under the control of the Missionary, and that no
rules shall be adopted, no books used, but with his
express sanction. So that though the master and
scholars are heathens, the instruction is Christian ;
their own l)poks, with their heathen dedications are
excluded ; and while writing and arithmetic are not
forgotten, ^e chief employment is the reading a;^d
learning our Holy Scriptures, and elementary religious
books.

There is something affecting in the inscriptions on
the native heathen school books. They are generally
inscribed to Ganesa,"*^ but sometimes to the superior
deities ; and the following is the translation of the
lines on the outside olei of one that was sent home

to us. At the one end is written "OMt — ^may
my teacher flourish." "Thou my teacher be my
lissistance." — ^At the other end,

** The Divine Will is strength,
Devi be my help,
Qh, priest be my assistance,
Rdm be victorious."

But we will accompany the Missionary to a heathen

• The God of wisdom.— See Part I., Letter 3.

t OM is the sacred name which they never pronounce.

dbyGoogk

104 LBTTEB X.

village, in which one of these Christian schools is
established. As you pass along the street, you wiU
be struck with the difference that appears between
this and the Christian village you before visited.
There is a want of cleanliness and order in the
arrangement of the little dwellings ; and on either
side your eye will catch some token of their heathen
state. On one side perhaps you will observe a hideous
human figure erected in the front of aH unfinished
house ; — ^it has been placed there by the owner, in
the hope, that if an " evU eyi^ should turn that way,
it may be arrested by the frightful object, and pre-
vented from passing on to the building itself Bunches
of margosa leaves will perhaps also be hanging across
the street, or before the dwellings ; either to prevent
the demon of the small pox from entering, or some-
times to keep off other evil spirits, by making them
suppose the disease is already there.

The women run away to hide themselves, and while
your eye mourns to trace the outward signs of idolatry
and delusion, your heart will feel the absence of the
joyful welcome of the Christian villages.

The Missionary is however always received with
respect, and the school is so great an object of interest
to the people, that should the room in which it is
usually kept be a small one, he will probably be
invited to hold his examination of it in the Pagoda.

Let us enter with him and witness the ark of the

dbyGoogk

boys' schools. ^ 105

Lord, brought, as it were, into the teiuple of Dagon,
and the praises of G-od perfected in the presence of
the senseless idols who usurp His right.

Striking and touching is the scene — ^the fathers of
the children and some of their friends assemble, and
sitting round in perfect silence on the ground, eyince
the greatest interest in the proceedings. They do not
offer the slightest interruption, except that sometimes
an old man, unable to restrain his admiration and
delight at the cleyemess and attainments of the boys,
will burst out in some sudden exclamation of praise
and pleasure.

There is no difficulty in inducing the boys to
answer ; the difficulty is to restrain their eagerness ;
and, unless one individual is particularly pointed out,
and it is desired that he alone will reply, the lips of
a whole school will be opened to declare that " there
is but one GFod," that " Jesus is the Son of God,"
that "He died on the cross to save sinners," that
" sin entered into the world by Adam's eating the
forbidden fruit ;" and, in short, all the leading parts
and doctrines of our faith will be thus freely and
fully acknowledged. Nor does the Missionary hesitate
to turn to the idols close to which he may be sitting,
and personally to bring the truth home to their own
consciences, by asking, "Are these idols Q-od?"
-" Can they save you r « What are they T Nor do
the children shrink from answering, nor do the parents
object to this condemnation of their own errors.

Digitized byCjOOQlC

106 LETTEB X.

Aflter the examination, rewards are distribttied,*^
pens^ or pencils, or books ; and it is an encouraging
fact, that when permitted to choose, they always fix
on the last, — Christian books being preferred even to
the inviting present of a isteel pen. It was not always
80, for formerly boys of caste shrank from the defiling
touch of a piece of leather, biit now they eagerly
desire botmd books, and the frequent cry is, " Gire
me a book, a hound book."

The native boy« have very retentive memories, as
well as great quickness of apprehension, and it is
surprising how much they often know by heart. A
friend told me of a boy in one of these heathen
schools, who repeated correctly the whole of the epidtle
to the Romans, the " Tamnl Historical Oatediism,"
and all Mr. Ehenius' ^< Doctrinal Catechism with
Scripture references ;" the last alone containing about
sixty octavo pages ; and this he spoke of as no un-
common case.

Many of the boys.thus taught have, notwithstanding
their knowledge, continued heathens, but in some
among them, (thanks be to Gbd,) the word of life has
taken root in their hearts ; they have come out from
their idolatry, and publicly professed Christianity.
Some of the. heathen masters here also have, like
Chedumbrum^ of Yalanganam, been led in a path
which they knew not, and have themselves been
brought to God by the truths they taught to others.
♦ Part I., Letter 15.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

SATTIANADAK. 107

I was very much interested in the account of a
youth who had been educated in one of these village
schools, and who died three or four years ago in the
faith and fear of God^ and as I am sure you will be
interested too^ I shall tell you a little about him.

Sattianadan was the son of the Nadan, or headman
of the Tillage of Euppapuram, where part of the
inhabitants had some time before applied ior Christian
instruction, and had had a Catechist sent to them and
a school established. Most of the people still con-
tinued decided idolaters, but the £itther of Sattianadan
seems, at the time I am speaking of, to have been
halting between two opinions : desirous of instruction,
but clinging to his former errors. But not so the son ;
the seed sown in the school fell on good ground,
and though for a time there was no appearance of its
haying taken root, ^t at last it sprung up and bore
fruit abundantly.

The first instance of his showing any zeal for the
honour of God, was his destruction of some of the
pei-coils in and near the village. Several of these he.
visited, and had levelled the consecrated mounds,
taking off and tearing to pieces the garlands that the
deluded worshippers would bring at midnight and
hang upon them. After this he was taken seriously
ill, and his heathen relations remonstrated with him
on his conduct, attributing his present illness to the
anger of the evil spirits whom he had offended by

dbyGoogk

108 . LETTEE X.

thus demolishing their altars, and they offered to
propitiate them on his behalf. This proposal he in^
dignantly rejected, declaring that so far from his
principles having been shaken by his illness, he would,
if he had strength, continue to destroy as many as
he could find. So universally beloved and respected
was he in the village, and so consistent had been his
general conduct, that even so public a testimony as
he had borne against their devil worship does not
appear to have produced any personal unkindness
towards himself. He had been ill for some months,
when the Rev. J. Devasagayam came to the village
in one of his periodical excursions, (in August, 1838),
and went to see him. He found him lying on a bed
very ill, but, on speaking and praying with him,
found in him, he says, *^ a filial confidence towards
God." As he was leaving the viHage the next morn-
ing to proceed on his journey, the Catechist, Paul,
came running to him, saying, " Sir, what a remarkable
thing I have just witnessed, Sattianadan, th^ son of
the headman, is exhorting his parents and friends to
cleave to Jesus, and says that he is going to the right
hand of God." The Missionary inamediately pro-
ceeded to the little prayer-house, where, for the last
two months, the poor youth had at his own earnest
request, been permitted to spend his days and nights,
and found him sitting on a cot exhorting his parents
and friends in a very solemn manner, saying, " Hear

dbyGoogk

SATTIANADAN. 109

the word of God," "learn the word of God/* "do not
despise or forget it." " I tell you this three times, five
times, and fifty times." The Rev. J. Devasagayam
goes on to say, " This he repeated frequently, adding
some other subjects in the interval ; saying * I go to the
right hand of God. I have committed many sins you
do not know, but the Lord has been very merciful to
me." Considering his great weakness, we were ex-
ceedingly surprised to see him speak so loudly and
constantly. His father gave him a little water fre-
quently, which he sometimes refused, as he told us
the subject was so important that he would hot be
hindered by attending to his bodily comfort, which
would soon perish. He first addressed his own father,
who was crying at the prospect of losing his son, and
told him not to lament for him, as he was going to a
happy place, and that he made his spirit heavy by
sorrowing for him, and then after kissing his father's
hand, he took leave of him.

" He then addressed the Catechi'st, and desired him
to sufier no one to weep for him after his death, but
to read good hymns and to bury him. Looking at
him, he said, ' You, Catechists, be active, and go from
one village to another, and preach Christ to them.
See how ministers, (meaning the Missionaries,) come
so far from the English country.' Looking at me, he
said, ' You, ministers, do not spare money, do not
keep it in the box, but spend it all for the cause of

dbyGoogk

110 LBTTBB X.

Christ.' Seeing the father of one of the youths who
is gone to Madras to the grammar school, he said,
* Don't be sorry that your son is gone so far ; he is
gone there to come to the place where I am now
going.' To all the women he said, 'Eememher
Martha and Mary, and do not be like Martha, but be
like Mary.' He saw a heathen man and woman, and
told them to hear and learn the word of Qod, He
also said, ' There are some families in this yiUage who
do not like to hear the word of God, but they will be
ruined.' He then spoke of the blessings of Christ's
salvation, and closed with referring to the last judg-
ment-seat of Christ, and how necessary it was to giye
up our account to Him who shall be the judge of
quick and dead. When he was not able to speak
more he repeated slowly, ' Jesus ! Jesus.' I offered
up a prayer, and commended his spirit into the hands
of our blessed Jesus, who gave him strength to bear
witness to his glory. He repeated with me the Lord's
prayer, and coming to the fourth petition, he ex-
claimed that his soul was in the sky."

After this he sunk down quite exhausted; and all
present thought that his soid had indeed fled to the
sky. But his work was not yet done — ^the next day
he revived, and God preserved him for several weeks
that he might be more fully ripened for the heavenly
gamer. The Rev. J. Devasagayam was obliged to
leave him the next day, and no Missionary was able

dbyGoogk

SATTJANADAN. Ill

to visit Kuppapuram again till the end of October,
when the Rev. H. Harley found him still alive, but
increasingly weak and ill. He baptized him, but it
was with great difficulty he could make the responses
in the baptismal service, and soon after Mr. Barley's
visit his spirit left its earthly tabernacle.

Mr. Harley, when writing about him, says, "I
could not help feeling what I have heard and seen
with regard to this youth as an encouragement to go
on sowing the seed. He does not appear to have been
converted suddenly, but gradually ; and all he knew
he had learnt in the school in the village, which the
Holy Spirit has blessed to his spiritual good. What
thanks do we owe to God for such a vessel of mercy.
0, may He deign by his blessed Spirit to lead many
others to the same fountain of salvation which this
youth found. To Him alone be ascribed all the
glory."

I remain.

My dear Lucy,

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

112

LETTER XL

My Deab Lucy,

I SHOULD like to take you from village to village
throughout the six districts occupied by our Society
in Tinnevelly, that while we listened to their short
and simple annals, we might obtain a clearer view of
the work of grace, Q-od is carrying on in each of them.
This, of course, is impossible, but it will, I think,
help you to form a fair idea of the general state, if I
take one separate district, and enter a little more into
the details of its congregations.

I have fixed on the N<yrtkem, not that the prospect
there is brighter, or perhaps so bright as in the
others, but the lights and shades seem to me more
distinct, and presenting better subjects for my sketch.

This is a very large district, and extends more
than seventy miles from north to «outh, and fifty
from east to west, besides an isolated congregation
at Cumhum, of which I will tell you afterwards.

The villages in this district, now amounting to
ninety-eight, have long been under the care of the
Rev. P. P. Schaffter, but the want of a house prevented
him, for several years, from residing among them.

dbyGoogk

NOBTHEEN DISTBICT. 113

Lately one has been built, and in July, 1841, Mr.
and Mrs. Schaffiber removed to their new abode at
NaUoor, a pretty spot, surrounded with tamarind
trees, and half way between Palamcottah and Cour-
tallam. But they were not permitted long to enjoy
this pleasant situation; sixteen years residence in
India had seriously affected Mr. Schaffter's health,
and he has been obliged to visit Europe, in the hope
that his native air may speedily restore it, and enable
him to return to his beloved flocks in Tinnevelly,
who, during his absence, are under the charge of the
Rev. Stephen Hobbs.

As in all the other districts, Mr. Schaffber has had
cause for joy and sorrow, for hope and fear, in the
people under his care. A great number of souls are,
he is* persuaded, under the teaching of the Holy
Spirit, and have real faith in the Lord Jesus, while
they endeavour in all outward things to walk worthy
of their high calling. But he has to mourn over the
unsatisfactory state of many others, of whom it is
difficult to say whether they belong to Christ or to
the world. They learn the word of God as others do,
and some appear to learn it with pleasure ; their
conduct is quiet and regular, yet they conform in
too many respects to the evil customs and practices
around them, and show little anxiety for growth
in grace.

There is besides, a third class, of whom he speaks as

Digitized by VjOOQIC

114 LETTER XI.

" evidMitly still entire strangers to real piety, their
conduct testifying too clearly that they are still the
slaves of their old master." " Some bond," he adds,
" though not the right one, keeps them with us, nor do
I find it my duty to separate them, except for well
attested acts of immorality ; their keeping with us
may still be a means in the Lord's hands, of re-
claiming them."

There has been, in some of the congregations,
a great diflSiculty in persuading the people to give
up their hed,then ceremonies at their marriages and
funerals. Many of these ceremonies are in them-
selves harmless, and would be matters of comparative
indifference, were it not that the adherence to them,
and the reliance placed upon them are symptoms of
the people's hearts still clinging, if not to actual
idolatry, yet to those outward observances which
make up so large a portion of heathen worship. It
requires much of " that wisdom which is from above"
in dealing with cases of this kind ; for, as all the
ceremonies on such occasions are according to the rules
of caste, the omission of any of them is considered
as a failure of duty ; and before a man can be content
to lose the good opinions of his friends and neighbours
and to give up the established customs of his fore-
fathers, he must have been endued with such a strength
of faith, as makes "the reproach of Christ" more
precious to him than " all the treasures of Egypt."

dbyGoogk

NOBTHEBN DISTBIOT. 115

The Missionaries however find it necessary firmly,
though gently, to exclude from the congregations any
individuals who persist in adhering to these customs,
or who in any other way return to heathen habits ;
and if a whole congregation should thus offend, they
withdraw the Catechist, and deprive them of the out-
ward means of grace. These poor people generally
consider this as the greatest misfortune that can
befall them, and in several instances the punishment
has been attended with the most beneficial effects,
and has brought them to a deeper and more serious
consideration of the whole subject.

Mr. Schaffter's journals occasionally relate instances
of these fearful backslidings, not unmingled however
with bright displays of a moral courage which might
put to shame our own lukewarmness in confessing
Christ before men. One of these occurred in a visit
he lately paid not long since to the village of KovU-
ankiUlam, There had formerly been a considerable
congregationhere, but all had gone back to heathenism
except one family. The father, who is in respectable
circumstances, was baptised sometime ago, and stood
firm when all around fell away. His wife too had
given good evidence of sincere belief in Christ, and
on this occasion exhibited a decision of character
seldom met with in a native woman. While Mr.
Schaffter was conversing with a number of her
heathen relations and neighbours, she came forward

I 2

Digitized by VjOOQIC

116 LETTER Xr.

before them all, and in a half reproachful tone,
inquired of him why he delayed to baptize her.
" Four years ago, she exclaimed, I asked Mr. Ehenius
to baptize me, but he advised me to wait a little
longer, as I was not sufficiently instructed ; ever since
I have been learning and waiting, month after month,
requesting the Catechist to beseech you to come and
baptize me ; but to this day I remain unbaptized.'*
Mr. Schaffter asked her if she had well considered
the difficulties and inconveniences to which she would
subject herself and her children ; representing to her
how much it would be against all their worldly
interests ; reminding her that there was not a person
under Christian instruction for ten miles round; and
laying before her the ridicule and contempt to which
she and they would be exposed. "Oh, sir," she
earnestly replied, " do you still doubt me ? Have I
not suffered all these things for many years, but have
I on that account shown a double mind, or any desire
to go back to the world V The appeal was irresistible,
and after examining her on the essential doctrines of
Christianity and the ground of her faith, Mr.
Schaffter baptised her and her eldest son, 17 years of
age, before them all ; while she, unmoved by the
heathens around her, received the holy rite with ejacu-
lations of prayer and thanksgiving. These visits to
distant congregations always present a chequered scene
of pain and pleasure.

dbyGoogk

NOBTHEKN DISTEICT. 117

At Pardnkondapooram the Missionary was distressed
by finding that half the people had gone back to
heathenism^ and that the greater part of the remainder
had become cold and indifferent ; while at the next,
Aladeipetty, where, on his preceding visit, though
some of the people had taken great pains in learning,
there had appeared no desire for baptism, he was now
cheered by a few coming forward, whoni, after due
examination, he baptized.

In Tinnevelly, and I believe generally in our
missionary stations, a desire for baptism is one of the
strongest proofs of a person's sincerity and determina-
tion to persevere in his profession of Christianity ;
and it is an encouraging fact, that in this, as well as
the other districts, there is very rarely an instance of
a baptized person returning to heathenism — the
backsliders are from among those who are only under
instruction.

At ElandoJcuUam a faithful few requested him to
administer the Lord's supper to them, to which he
replied that he intended to do so on the following
Sunday at a village six miles off, and invited them to
attend. " Oh yes," cried out an old man between 90
and lOQ years of age, resting both his hands, upon
his staff, " with the help of God I shall come slowly,
and enjoy it once more." Affected by the old man's
earnestness, and unwilling to put him to so much
fatigue and inconvenience, the Missionary determined.

dbyGoogk

118 LBTTBB XI.

small as the number was, (onlj six,) to administer it
there, and it proved a season of refreshing to his own
soul. This old man, whose name is Eoyappen, was
the very first in this part of the country, who, in the
time of Schwartz, renounced popery, and embraced
the Gospel. He can neither read nor write, but in
his younger days he composed many hymns which are
still sung with delight by himself, and his younger
Christian brethren, and have furnished many a
Oatechist with a successful weapon against their
heathen and popish enemies.*

At another village, NeeUancdloor, there is only
one Christian family among all the heathen, but the
history of the fether is so encouraging that I am sure
you will like to hear it. When very young, he was
employed in the service of some native Christians,
who endeavoured to instil into his mind the principles

* There are a great many Roman Catholics in this part
of Tinnevelly, hut, except in name, they are not to be dis-
tinguished from the heathen. Their festivals and their
ceremonies correspond ; the same kind of cars are used in
their processions ; their foreheads are alike disfigured with
the ashes of Siva ; and the images of Kali or of Vishnoohave
only given way to those of the Virgin Mary or St. Francis
Xavier. The Scriptures are forbidden to be read, though
some, more in earnest than the rest, have ventured to
disobey this injunction ; they have inquiredfor themselves,
and the result has been that not less than six hundred
have joined the various congregations in the northern
district.

dbyGoogk

NOKTHBEN DISTBIOT, 119

of Christianity. His heathen parents, perceiving that
he was in some degree influenced by their instructions,
took him away ; and by marrying him to a heathen
young woman, and by other means, succeeded in
alienating his heart from the truths he had begun to
love. For fifteen years he continued an avowed
heathen, though not without many a secret struggle,
and many a striving of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
At last, about five years ago, his convictions became
deeper and stronger ; he embraced Christianity with
his whole heart, and from that time has been, as Lot
in Sodom, alone, and a stranger among the people of
his own village. For a long time he had also to
endure the opposition of his wife, but she has lately
appeared much altered, and has begun herself to
learn the word of God. As yet, however, she will not
consent to the baptism of their son, though the boy
himself much wishes it.

At Trevarpetty Mr. Schaffter met one of the nicest
congregations he had ever seen. It was the first time
a Missionary had been among them, and the great
joy they manifested at his arrival, the eager desire
they showed to hear the word of God, and their
kindness towards each other, (for they belonged to
three different castes) all persuaded him that religion
was with them something more than a name. In the
evening he had a meeting with them, which was
prolonged late into the night, he baptized eight of

dbyGoogk

120 LETTER XI.

their number, and rejoiced at the seriousness and
joy with which they received the holy ordinance.
The next morning he rose before four o'clock, to pro-
ceed on his way; but to his surprise found the
people up before him, and waiting before the Church
to receive a little more of the bread of life. So he
prayed with them, and went on his way rejoicing.
He found afterwards that these early prayers were no
new thing, for that during the season when their
work obliges them to go out early, they will wake
the Catechist at four o'clock, or even earlier, that he
may have prayer with them before they set out.

At two of the neighbouring villages the persecutions
of the Zemindar had sadly reduced the congregations^
but at another, he found that the Gospel had appa-
rently touched the hearts of two little heathen boys,
for they had refused to worship at an idol feast in
their village, and though the younger was at last
prevailed upon by stripes, nothing could induce the
elder one to yield.

I scarcely know where to stop in these little
histories, for I shall weary you if I continue them ;
so I will relate one more anecdote, and then bring
this letter to a close.

At the village of SaTibagapooram, the headman,
his wife and sister, and several of the respectable
people in the place are Christians, and the work of
grace began among them under rather remarkable

dbyGoogk

NORTHERN DISTBICT. 121

circumstances. It appears that long before she had
heard any thing of Christianity, the wife had of her
own accord renounced idolatry, from some vague
conviction of its sinfulness. For ten years it pleased
God to keep her in this half awakened state, but
when at last the old Catechist, Abraham, was sent
by Mr. Ehenius to this village, the light broke in
upon her soul, she felt the Gospel was what her
spirit had been unconsciously "feeling after," and
her sister and herself determined to embrace it.
Earnest were their prayers that God would open to
them a way through the difficulties which surrounded
them j He vouchsafed them an answer of peace, and
disposed the heart, not only of the husband, but of
many of their relations to unite with them in turning
from dumb idols to serve the living God. Since
that time they have proved consistent and zealous
servants of their Lord, and the wife in particular is
so much respected by all her neighbours, that no
heathen will ever open his mouth against Christianity
when she is present.

But now my dear Lucy, according to my promise,
I will conclude, only begging you to believe me,
Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

122

LETTER XII.

Thankfully indeed, my dear Lucy, may we rejoice
that congregations have been formed in so many
villages in this Northern district of Nalloor; yet
you must remember these are but like glow-worms
"beneath the hedge or near the stream," bright
indeed in themselves, and brightening a little circle
round them, but unable to dispel the general gloom of
a dark and cloudy night. They are scattered here and
there amid a dense population still entirely heathen,
and many a painful feeling arises in the breast of the
Missionary, when as he journeys from one congrega-
tion to another, he sees the goprum rearing its lofty
head above the trees ; or hears the idol music of many
a town and village, which has perhaps never yet been
visited even by a Oatechist. With these sights and
sounds continually before them, who can wonder that
the friends of missions so often turn to England, and
so earnestly implore our Church to lengthen her cords,
and to send out a more effectual supply of help.
There are, however, a few native labourers, (distinct
from the Oatechistswho are stationaryin their different
congregations,) whose special work it is to endeavour

dbyGoogk

KOBTHERN DISTRICT. 123

to penetrate this fearful darkness, and to scatter a few
sparks of heavenly Kght throughout the country.
They are employed and supported by a Society, called
the " Pilgrim Society," which sprung up five or six
years ago, among the people themselves, without the
knowledge or assistance of any of the Missionaries.
I cannot give you a better account of its origin than
in the words of a native Catechist. " One Sunday,
our pastor, Bhenius^ in the course of an affecting
Sermon on Eom. viii. 32, took occasion to ask us :
The Lord has shown you His love in a wonderful
manner, but you, dear brethren, what have you done
for Him in proof of your gratitude V He added many-
other things calculated to make us feel our spiritual
barrenness, and the duties which the love of God
imposes on us. On coming out of the Church, we
assembled together to consider the matter more closely..
We felt we were less than unprofitable servants ; and
that it was our duty to glorify by our actions Him
who had done so much for us. At last we resolved
to form a little society among ourselves, to send the
messengers of peace into the towns and villages in the
northern part of our province, into which the light
of the gospel had not yet penetrated, and where all
the inhabitants were still in the darkness of heathen-
ism. We named it the " Pilgrim Society," and by the
means of the little offerings we brought, we soon, by
the blessing of God, found ourselves able to send out

dbyGoogk

124 LETTER Xlt

two messengers who travelled unceasingly among the
most obscure and distant places, declaring the word
of God, and distributing tracts and the Holy Scrip-
tures. Dear fathers and brethren in Christ, we
implore your aid in this important work ; assist us
by your contribution's and your prayers, that we may
be able to send forth a larger number of these heralds
of peace."

I find from Mr. Schaffter that the people have from
the beginning continued to support these two entirely
from their own resources, and that by the liberality of
private friends he has himself been enabled to increase
the number. At present, he has only four additional
labourers, but at one time he was able to employ as
many as thirteen, whom he sent out two and two, an
elder and a younger, on this pilgrimage of love and
mercy.

These readers travel far and wide, even towards
Madura and Dindigul, carrying the message of God
to many an ear on which it never fell before; and
though the amount of good they have been the means
of doing can never be known till the day when all
things shall be revealed, yet the servant of God has
not been left without some present hopeful signs. In
a few instances the readers have been ill-treated, and
the books they have given away have been collected
and torn to pieces, but in general they have been
kindly received, and allowed to tell their errand un-

ci by Googk

NORTHERN DISTRICT. 125

molested. In several places a spirit of inquiry has
been awakened; and one family in particular has
embraced Christianity, who never heard the gospel
but from their lips. The natural acuteness of the
native mind gives these men^ in their arguments with
their heathen opposers, a readiness we should hardly
expect from persons who have had so few advantages
of education; and Mr. Schafiler mentioned some
conversations at which he had accidently been present,
where he had been struck w^ith the aptness of their
illustrations. One of these, which I select on account
of its brevity, was in answer to a heathen who, in a
cavilling spirit, inquired how he could know the
Christian religion was better than heathenism. " If
I bring you two dishes of plantains," asked the
reader, "how do you know which is the best]" " Of
course by tasting them," was the answer. " Just so, I
have known by tasting, for I was a heathen and am
now a Christian, — do you also taste and see."

But before I leave the northern district, I must
fulfil my promise of telling you more about " Cum-
bum." This little village is in the province of
Dindigul, beyond the mountains on the north-west
of Tinnevelly, 150 miles from Nalloor, the nearest
Missionary station, and seventy or eighty from any of
our congregations. But when God has a design of
mercy, neither mountains nor seas, nor distance, nor
difficulties can arrest the progress of His word. It

dbyGoogk

126 LETTER Xn.

seems that eleyen or twelve years ago, the people of
Cumbum hearing a rumour of the Gospel from some
Christians who happened to go there on some other
business, sent to request Mr. Ehenius to place a
Catechist among them. He did so, but though the
Catechist had from time to time made a fayourable
report of them, no Missionary had ever been able
to go there, till Mr. Schaffter, unwilling to leave
Tinnevelly without knowing something of a people
who, though long under his charge, he had never
seen, determined, in company with Mr. Hobbs, to
pay them a visit. They set out on horseback, and
after a fatiguing journey of five days, reached the
spot. They found it situated in a beauti^l valley,
a clear river flowing through it, while many a little
stream and gushing torrent descended from the
mountains that shut in the lovely scene ; altogether
reminding Mr. Schaffter of the valleys of his native
Switzerland. They found the people much more
simple, and less prejudiced than in Tinnevelly ; they
were delighted to see them, and the Missionaries, on
their part, rejoiced over the fruits of the very imper-
fect culture they had received. The Catechist had
evidently taken great pains with them, he had a
school for the boys, and the people were better
instructed than could have been expected. They
had built a little house of prayer, and all were anxious
to be baptized. The Missionaries however thought

dbyGoogk

OUMBUM. 127

it better that the greater part should wait, and only
baptized thirty-six, who had made the greatest pro-
gress. There were four or five other villages in this
valley, and in two of them little congregations had
also been formed. The Missionaries wished very much
to have visited them, but they had no time to spare,
and they could only ardently desire that a Missionary
could have been specially appointed to this promising
field of labour.

Finding there was a shorter road across the moun-
tains, they prepared to return by it, but the people
of the place endeavoured to dissuade them by repre-
senting the difficulties and dangers to which they
would be exposed. Thinking that these difficulties
were probably over-rated, and anxious to get back as
soon as possible, they persevered in their intention,
and set out early in the morning, accompanied by a
party of the kind hearted villagers, who, since they
could not dissuade them from their purpose, would
not let them go alone. For some hours all went on
smoothly, but early in the afternoon a heavy rain
came on, the way had become so steep that they were
obliged to dismount and walk : all traces of a road
had disappeared ; and the only paths through the
long tangled grass, that was sometimes higher than
their heads, were the tracks of the wild elephants,
who roam at large among these their native hills.
They several times saw these fierce creatures at a

dbyGoogk

128 LETTER XII.

distance^ but happily none came near enough to cause
them any serious apprehensions.

I know not, however, what they would have done
without one of the party who had come with them
from the village — ^he was a hunter, well acquainted
with the country, and his stem immoveable features
bore the impress of a mind that knew no fear.
Encouraged by his report of a hut built in a tree,*
where they could safely pass the night ; they laboured
on for four or five hours, though almost exhausted
with fatigue and hunger, and completely drenched,
not only by the rain, but by having repeatedly to
wade through a mountain torrent of considerable
depth, that crossed their course. Evening had set in
before they reached the spot, but you may imagine
their disappointment at finding the hut, which had
been made of reeds, had fallen to pieces.

No one knew what was to be done, till the friendly
hunter remembered that some way further on there
was a rock, which, as it was free from the tall grass
that everywhere covered the ground, would afford
them a place of rest. Another hour's toil brought
them to it, their companions lighted fires round
them to keep off the wild beasts that infest the hills

♦ These huts are often met with, and are built by
hunters, to secure themselves from the wild beasts that
infest the mountains. The branches of the tree are cut, so
as to form a kind of ladder. •

dbyGoOgk

OUMBUM, 129

»— contrired a sort of tent to shelter the Missionaries,
and after partaking of some honey and coarse grain^
the first food they had tasted since they left the
Tillage, they all lay down till morning.

At day-break, they renewed their journey, and
though it was still difficult and fatiguing, they met
with no serious obstacle till they came to a river,
which having worn itself a channel through the
rocks, had left only a narrow path between itself and
the perpendicular cliffs on either side. In general,
this path, though narrow, was not unsafe, but the
rain of the preceding day had now so swelled the
stream, that it filled the pass, and for two or three
hundred yards there only remained a mere ledge
along the fece of the rock. But they had no alter-
native, and though the slightest false step would
have precipitated them into the stream, they ven-
tured round the daiigerous point, and by the
good providence of God, escaped all accidents.
Their horses swam by their side along the stream,
and afit^r bidding adieu to their Oumbum friends,
they once more descended into the plains of Tinne-
velly.

A little incident that occurred before they reached
the plains, is so characteristic that I must repeat it.
They were totally unacquainted with the country,
but the keen demands of hunger had again assailed
them ; and having no provisions with them, they

Digitized by VjOOQIC

130 LETTEE XIL

rode up to a house which evidently belonged to a
person of property, where they hoped to procure some
food. The owner was from home, but his wife, as
soon as she knew their errand, though probably she
had never before seen an European, received them
with the greatest courtesy. Of course they could not
be admitted within the house, but she invited them to
rest themselves under a tree, while some refreshment
should be prepared for them, and they were soon
supplied with the best the house afforded, the mistress
attending on them to see that they wanted nothing*
When they had finished this welcome meal, they rose
to take leave, and cordially thanking her for the
reception she had given to such entire strangers,
begged her to accept some remuneration. This she
steadily refused, and expressed her pleasure at having
had the opportunity of rendering them this slight
service, adding in a strain truly Oriental, " I am at a
loss to conceive what act of virtue I can have per-
formed in a previous state of existence, that can
have entitled me to so great an honour in this
present life 1"

Do you think the most finished European courtier
could vie with this untaught heathen woman, in the
art of complimenting ?

I remain.

Yours affectionately,
S. T.

dbyGoogk

131

LETTER XIII.

plantain in fbuit.

My Deab Lucy,
The custom of early marriages, and still earlier
betrothments, is a soiirce of much evil and misery to
the female population throughout India, When* a
girl is eight or nine years old, and sometimes much
sooner, she is betrothed to a boy a few years older

K 2

dbyGoogk

132 LETTSB xm.

than herself, whom perhaps she has never seen ; and
from that time she is considered as his wife. At the
age of thirteen or fourteen she is married, and hence-
forth becomes little more than a domestic slave.
" She may not walk with her husband, but behind
him j she may not eat with, but aft«r him, and of
what he leaves ; she ought not to sleep till he is
asleep, nor to remain asleep when he is awake, and if
she is sitting when he c(9mes in, she must rise* She
should have no god on earth but her husband — ^him
she should worship while he lives, and if he dies she
is doomed to perpetual widowhood."* This doom is
hers, even if the young man dies between the betroth-
ment and the marriage ; a black cord is fastened
round her neck never to be removed, and the poor
child is for ever shut out from scenes of gladness.
The sports of childhood are denied her, she must
never again be present at any season of rejoicing, she
is treated as an inferior by her own family, must
wear the jcoarsest garments, and eat but once a day of
the coarsest food. Thus neglected and despised, with
no interest in this life, and no hope for the future, it
is no wonder that these poor girls often throw oflf all
restraint, and abandon themselves to- open sin.
The state of the Sha^nar women in Tinnevelly is

* Amonj^ other bonds from wbich Baboo Dwarganauth
Tagore, (of Calcutta), has endeavoured to free his country^
men, this of perpetual widowhood is one ; and he is still
aiming at it.

dbyGoOgk

FEHALB SCHOOLS* 133

not quite so bad as in most other parts of India, they
are generally industrious and contented, faithful to
their husbands, and fond of their children ; but
accustomed as they are from childhood to the horrid
scenes of the Pei-ar&danai, their minds are degraded,
and their general moral principle extremely low.
Mr. Blackman and Mr. Schaffter have both assured
me, that those who by living long and familiarly
among the natives, have become well acquainted with
the evils of a heathen education and of the early
intercourse with heathens, to which even the children
of Christians are subjected, can alone duly estimate
the blessing of a truly pious well-educated mother ;
and it is this that makes female education of such
great importance to a mission.

The subject had from the first been a source of
anxiety to the Missionaries in Tinnevelly, but the
usual prejudices against it prevented them from
being able to take any steps ; till in the early part of
1823, they were agreeably surprised by a boy in the
school at Palamcottah begging for a spelling-book for
his sister, whom he was teaching to read, and who
already knew some of her letters. Encouraged by
this, and two or three similar requests, a girls' school
was established in the mission compound, and placed
under the care of Mrs. Schnarr6. You may imagine
with what thankfrilness the Missionaries looked on
the thirty pleasant happy faces that were assembled

dbyGoogk

134 LETTER Zm.

there, and rejoiced to think that these poor girls whose
only instruction hitherto had been to keep caste, to
make salaam, and to deceive; and whose chief
encouragement had been to hear their mothers boast
of the clever falsehoods they could tell, were now
listening to the words of eternal truth, and learning
not merely their duty in this life, but the way of
everlasting salvation. Since that time, female educa-
tion has slowly spread, and several schools have been
established in the different districts.

I shall first teU you of those in which the girls are
entirely taken into the mission compound^ and are
fed and clothed at the expense of Christian friends,
and which for the sake of distinction I shaU call
" compound schools." I shall be able to give you a
better idea of the subject, if I confine myself to the
schools in one particular district ; and as I have had
the opportunity of knowing more about those of
Satankullum than any other, I shall select these as a
specimen of the rest.

When Mr. and Mrs. Blackman went to TinneveUy,
in January, 1836, they resided at first at Palamcottah,
and Mrs. Blackman took part with Mrs. Pettitt in the
care of the girls' school there. At the end of a year,
they removed to Satankullum, and Mrs. Blackman
took with her sev^n of the girls, with whom she
began a similar school in her new abode, and soon
increased her number to thirty-five.

dbyGoogk

FEMALE SCHOOLS. 135

The school house consisted of one large airy room,
with a small one at each end; one of the small ones
was used as a store-room and cook-room; and in the
other their books and spinning wheels were kept.
The larger room was used, not only as a school-room,
but as an eating and sleeping room ; for the simple
habits of the natives, and the free admission of air
prevents the discomfort which would attend such an
arrangement in England. The girls rose at half-past
five, and after the time allotted them for private
prayer, washing, arranging their cloths, rolling up
their sleeping mats, &c., proceeded to the work of the
day. As Mrs. Blackman was anxious that while re-
ceiving instruction of a higher kind, they should be
fitted for the duties of their stations, the first part of
the morning was spent in beating rice and carrying
water. You would like to have seen the busy group,
each with her earthen chatty on her hip ; and the elder
ones with a vessel made of the palmyra leaf, to which
they tied a string, and letting it down into the water,
filled their own chatties, and those of their younger
schoolfellows.

One morning, very early, as Mrs. Blackman was
dressing, she heard singing under her window, and
looking through the Venetians, saw one of her little
scholars, about ten years old, who had dressed more
quickly than the rest, passing along with her chatty
on her side, singing one of the Tamul hymns she had

dbyGoogk

136 liETTBft xin.

lately learnt. When she reached the well, she sal
down on the low wall that surrounds it, and unconr
scious of being observed, her little joyous heart poured
forth one hymn after another, half saying, half singing
them, till her companions joined her, and the bustle
of drawing water stopped the pleasant strains.

At eight o'clock, they were summoned to morning
prayer, and scripture reading — ^then came their break*
fast, generally consisting of " conjee," or rice gruel^
except in the palmyra season, when they were some^
times indulged with " puttaneer."

From nine to one, were the morning school hours^
when they received instruction from a master, (for as
yet the women are not equal to the entire care of a
school) and Mrs. Blackman often taught the first and
second classes herself. During these hours they were
taught spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic^
For the two last they did not require slates or
pencils, or copy books. Sitting down on the ground,
they would strew sand before them, and smoothing ii
with their hands, the younger ones would trace on it
the letters, or the figures with their fingers ; while
the older ones would write their copies, or do their
sums on oleis, as I described to you before.*

At one, they dined, generally on curry and rice,
that is, rice mixed with various vegetables, and

♦ Part I., Letter 9.

dbyGoogk

FKMALE SCHOOLS. 137

flavoured with curry-stuff, and sometimes in the
proper season, they were indulged with a piece of
their fevourite " kuripekutti" and oil cake.

The afternoons, from three to five, were spent
by the whole school with Mrs. Blackman, in the
verandah ; and many a pleasant and profitable hour
has thus been passed. As they sat on the ground
before her, she would teach them to work, or would
read to them some English book into Tamul, or
would talk of other countries, and of former times ;
endeavouring in all her intercourse with them, to
store their minds with sound views and right prin-
ciples. It is a peculiar trait in native children that
they will converse with their superiors with the
most entire freedom, without any boldness ; and in
these happy afternoons they would ask questions,
and make observations, as freely as her own children
would have done. The schoolmaster often made one
of the party, and his intelligent inquiries gave an
additional spirit to the conversation.

Sometimes the kindness of friends in England
enabled Mrs. Blackman to delight her young pupils
with the present of a bag of English print, or a
needle-book, or a thimble, or a bodkin. All these were
highly prized, and carefizUy preserved; but the
greatest treasure was a pair of scissors, and happy
was the girl who obtained such a valuable acqui-
sition. There was generally a petition for a piece of

dbyGoogk

138 LETTER Xin.

flannel to wrap them in, to keep them from rust;
about ten times as much string as was necessary was
wound round them, and every time they were used,
the process was gone through, of unwinding the long
thread, and duly winding it round again.

At five, they were dismissed to amuse themselves :
each had a little garden of. her own, where they
learnt to raise vegetables for their own use, and it
was a great delight if they could find a bunch of
plantains worth presenting to their kind benefactress.
Now and then, as a great indulgence, Mrs. Blackman
would take them for a walk, and if in the palmyra
season, would treat them with puttaneer fresh from
the tree ; and though there were no shady lanes,
or flowery meadows, the children enjoyed their walk
over the sandy plains, and among the stiff* palmyras,
as much as an English child is pleased with a visit
to the retired farm, and a cup of milk, warm from
the cow.

Their supper was rice and " pepper water," as it is
called — that is, water in which the warm ingredients
of the curry have been steeped without the vegetables.
At eight, Mr. Blackman had evening prayers ; the
party retired to rest, and each girl drawing her cloth
pver her head, and lying down on her little mat, slept
soundly till the morning.

Thus peacefully and usefully the days rolled on,
during the five years Mrs. Blackman remained at

dbyGoogk

FEMALE SCHOOLS. 139

Satankullum j and of the elder girls who have
married from the school, only one has given her
cause for sorrow. All the others have proved re-
spectable and upright young women ; and some of
them have given evidence of decided piety. Several
have married Oatechists, and five of them have in
their turn become teachers of others, and are settled
in the villages as school-mistresses.

On the marriage of any of these young women,
Mrs. Blackman used to present them with a marriage
portion. A Bible, as you will suppose, was one of
the presents, but the others were very different from
those which a young woman in England would con<-
sider as suitable marriage gifts from her mistress
or her teacher. A wedding cloth of rather better
materials than her common one, a brass drinking
vessel ; an eating vessel of the same metal, in shape
like a large saucer ; a sleeping mat ; and a wooden
box to hold her best cloth, her books, and the
carefully preserved presents she had received at
school made up the rest ; and with this stock of
clothes and furniture* the bride considered her-
self richly endowed.

It is very encouraging to observe the marked
difference there is between the cottages of the edu-
cated and uneducated young women ; for poor and
bare of ftimiture as they all are, tkere is a cleanliness

* Amounting in value to about 10 Rupees, or £1.

dbyGoOgk

140 LETTEB XIH.

and air of comfort abont the one, entirely unknown
to the other.

One of the girls who married from the S&tankullum
school, for distinction I shall call " Sindoo''* She
was the child of Pariar parents, under Christian
instruction, but as she was thirteen years old when
they applied for her admission, and she had been
living for some time with heathen relations, Mrs.
Blackman hesitated, fearing lest she should have
acquired evil habits that might injure the others. At
last, however, she consented, and had cause to rejoice
in her decision. Sindoo was not naturally quick, but
very diligent, and no lesson seemed lost -upon her;
every week and every month there was a marked im-
provement ; evidences of a real change of heart were
sewi in her, and at the end of a year she was
baptized, t

At fifteen she was married to a Catechist in another
district, and settled in a distant village, where she is
still employed in instructing the women, among whom
she has gained great influence by her gentle manner
and consistent conduct. Her love for Mrs. Blackman
continued unabated, and she never lost an oppor-

• The writer thinks it better to avoid giving the real
names of these young women.

t The children of baptized persons are, of course, baptized
in their infancy, but those whose parents are only under
inttruetion, are not baptized till they can understand and
appreciate the rite.

dbyGoogk

FEMALE SCHOOLS. 141

tunity of sending her a little olei of gratitude and
affection.

In one of these little notes, written soon after her
marriage, she spoke warmly of her own happiness,
and of the kindness of her husband ; and Mrs,
Blackman knowing how much she was beloved by
her schoolfellows, read part of it to them. It so
happened that one of them, whose parents lived near
those of Sindoo, soon after returned home for a few
days, and very naturally repeated what had given
herself so much pleasure. Immediately the whole
village was in commotion. " To think of a young
woman presuming to give an opinion about her
husband 1 such a thing was never heard of! and if
such conduct was permitted, all would be confusion T'
and poor Sindoo, on her next visit to her mother,
underwent the reproaches of all her acquaintances.
Their reproofs weighed heavily on her gentle spirit ;
and some time after, meeting Mrs, Blackman at
Palamcottah, she anxiously inquired of her, " Pray,
ma'am, was I very wrong in telling you how much I
loved my husband, and how good he was to me ?"

You will be pleased to hear that her continued
propriety of conduct by degrees silenced all such
objections ; and not long before Mrs. Blackman left
Tinnevelly, the mother came to her to express her
gratitude for the instruction her daughter had re-
ceived; ^' Madam, you do not know what a good

dbyGoogk

142 LETTER Xm*

daughter she is to me — she does what no others think
of doing after they are married^ for she assists me in
everyway she can^ and her husband and herself often
send me some little present."

Another of these young women, whose name I shall
give as " Rackely^ had early been left an orphan by her
Christian parents, and thrown on her heathen relations
for support. They sadly neglected her, and when
Mrs. Blackman met with her she was nearly starved.
When taken into the school she improved rapidly in
every respect, and being evidently under the influence
of Divine grace, the seal of the covenant was not
withheld, and she was baptized. She is also married
to a Catechist of another district j her husband has
the charge of a small school, and when he is absent
on his other duties she undertakes the teaching of
the little boys.

When she heard that Mrs. Blackman was preparing
to visit Europe, she came over 4o Ssitankullum to
take leave of her, and begged permission to remain
there two or three days, that she might work a
sampler, to send to the ladies who had been so kind
to herself and other native girls. She marked one
very neatly ; and the two texts upon it, of her own
choosing, were, "When my father and my mother
forsake me, the Lord taketh me up ;" and " In thee
the fatherless findeth mercy."

I shall only mention one more of these young

dbyGoogk

FEMALE SCHOOLS. 143

women, and call her " Annatje,^ She is a Marayer,
the grand-daughter of a good old man, who was for-
merly a deyil dancer, and so fierce and yiolent that
he was the terror of the neighbourhood, and his very
name was used to frighten children ; but whom the
soTereign grace of God has changed into a meek
and devoted Christian. This girl, as being a
Maraver, was of higher rank than any other in the
school, as the rest were chiefly Shanars, with a few
Pariars, but her grandfather's influence prevented her
from assuming any undue distinction, and the efifect
was felt by the whole school. She has, from the first,
given Mrs. Blackman much cause for joy and thank-
fiibless j she rapidly improved, and as her knowledge
of spiritual things increased, so did also her fear of
being led into temptation. Her mother is a very nice
woman, and has been baptized ; but her father, though
he will occasionally attend church, will sometimes
absent himself for weeks together on some marauding
expedition. One day when her mother came over to
see her, she wished to take her back for a few days ;
and though Mrs. Blackman knew that their relations
and neighbours too much resembled her father to
make it desirable for her to go among them, she did
not think it right to refuse. She therefore merely
told Annatje of her mother's wish, and was agreeably
surprised by her immediately answering, "Pray
Ma'am, do not let me go, I shall only get confused

dbyGoogk

144 liETTER xm,

in my mind if I go among so many wicked people j
my mother and one or two more desire to walk
properly, but all the rest lovfe wickedness. I hope I
may be kept at school a very long time." The mother
saw the force of her daughter's reasons, and left
SatankuUum without her.

Annatje is now the wife of one of the Catechists,
and is usefully employed in a day school in a large
village.

I will tell you of these day schools in anotiher
letter.

Believe me,

Tours affectionately,

S. T,

dbyGoogk

LETTER XIV,

My Dear Lttot,
Althouoh Mrs. Blackman had so mucli to encourage
her in the school of which I told you in my last letter,
she could not visit the distant villages without being
pained at the number of wild untaught children,
everywhere to be seen, who, though the daughters of
Ohristians, could receive no instruction from their
uneducated mothers, and were likely to become
little better than heathens. She resolved to make
the hitherto untried experiment of establishing day
schools, and, encouraged by a little assistance from
friends at Madras, she opened one in September, 1837,
at Kad^tchapuram, which soon answered her most
sanguine expectations. She obtained a master, and
engaged as mistress a married woman, the daughter
of an old Catechist, who, rising above the prejudices
of his neighbours against female education, had sent
her to a boys' school, where she had learnt to read.
Fifky girls were soon collected, and the mornings were,
and still are, spent in learning reading, writing, and
cyphering, from the master. In the afternoon they
are under the special charge of the mistress, who takes

dbyGoogk

146 LBTTER XIV.

them out under the shade of the trees before the
school, and amidst the busy hum of the little spinning
wheels, teaches them a hymn, or some portion of holy
writ, or makes them repeat a simple catechism;*
while a former pupil of Mrs. Blackman's, now married
to a Catechist, assists in teaching the younger ones.

Other schools were formed on the same plan, till
now there are seven or eight day schools, and 250
scholars in the district of Satankullam. Once in the
year, generally just before Christmas, Mrs. Blackman
used to assemble all her little scholars at Satankullam
for a general examination. It was always a happy
day ; each girl received the present of a new cloth,
and some of them had other trifling rewards. One of
the best conducted of these schools is at Anbinagram,
called the " Retford school," from its being in great
measure indebted for its support to the clergyman o^
that place, and his friends. The mistress, a former
pupil of Mrs. Schaffiber's, is a sensible and decidedly
religious young woman ; and her husband, a valuable
Catechist, is much interested in female education.
When Mrs. Blackman was coming away, two or three
of the schoolmistresses of their own thought, wished
to send a letter of acknowledgment to their kind
benefactresses in England^ and employed this young

* This active intelligent woman is of great use also in
reading to the women of the village, visiting the sick, &c.

dbyGoOgk

FEMALE SOHOOLa 147

man to write one ; of which the following is a trans-
lation : —

" With many salaams."

*' This is the grateful and humble address of the
mistresses who teach, and of the children who are
taught in the schools at Anbinagram and Kadatcha-
puram, to the ladies our much honoured benefactresses,
who, in connexion with the Church Missionary
Society, afford us the means of education.

" The preachers of the Gospel who have been sent
into the midst of us, obserring the wretched and
miserable way in which our fetthers and mothers
brought us up, and the injury we sustained thereby,
frequently advised them to have us educated. They
told our parents that for us to grow up in the true
religion it was their duty to send us to school, that
we might learn those things that pertain to the
Christian faith ; but they for a long time resisted, and
said, * it is not good or proper for girls to learn to
read.' Thus for a long time they kept up the bad
practice of thinking meanly of us, the female sex, and
reared us like young wild beasts.

" You, our benefactresses, live in a foreign land,
and never saw our faces ; yet were you incited by
love to God, and felt a desire that we might be in-
structed in the knowledge of good and evil, and know
the consequences of each. You also desired we should
be delivered from the power of sin, and become one

h 2

dbyGoogk

148 LETTEB XIV.

with God, and that we should clearly know the glory
of Christ, who voluntarily endured inexpressible
sufferings for us.

"We are poor and ignorant, but we are not only
most grateful to you for these benefits, but we also
praise God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, for having
stirred up in your hearts the desire of doing us good,
and of treating us as your own children, so that we
might grow up in the true faith. We desire that the
love of you, our benefactresses, may not decrease, but
increase.

" We, the children that are taught, and the mis-
tresses who teach in the above schools, and partake
of your benefactions, send you this humble address.
" KadMchapuramy

« December Uih, 1841."

All the mistresses of these various schools met once
a month at Satankullam, to give Mrs. Blackman an
account of their scholars, to repeat the lessons they
had themselves learnt during the preceding month,
and to ;receive instruction and advice for the future.

These were hours full of interest and importance to
the future welfare of many a soul, when these young
mistresses and mothers, seated on the floor of the
verandah, listened to their kind friend, who ofiben
would point to the infants in their arms, and press
on them how much greater was their responsibility
than that of their own mothers had been ; and would

dbyGoogk

FEMALE SOHOOLS. 149

set before them the important trust committed to
them of bringing up immortal souls for Christ. And
while the glistening eye and earnest look would tell
her these affectionate appeals did not fall unheeded
on the ear, her own heart often overflowed with
gratitude to Him who had so blessed her labours of love.

When Mrs. Blackman left Tinneyelly at the end of
1841, she broke up the school in the compound ; and
some of the girb were kindly received by Mrs. Pettitt,
and others by Mrs. Thomas.

The day schools she left under the care of the Rev.
J. Devasagayam and his wife, who have carried them
on with energy and zeal. A new one has been opened
in S^tankullam; the monthly meetings with the
mistresses, and the annual examinations of the scholars
have been continued ; a Bible class of young women
has been established in Kad&tchapuram, and a female
adult school has also been begun there, which, when
I last heard of it, was attended by seventy of the
older women.

This account of the schools in the Satankullam
district, will serve as a specimen of many others, for
the missionary ladies of Palamcottah, Nalloor, Meig-
nanapuram, Suveisashapuram, and Dohnavoor in
Tinneveliy, as well as those in Travancore, all have
similar ones under their superintendence, which,
though they may vary in some of the details, are
conducted on the same general plan.

dbyGoogk

150 "LETTER XIT.

I must now come to the important qnestion^-^
How are these schools supported ? It is true that
three pounds per annum^ and in some places a
smaller sum, will suffice for the entire support and
^ucation of a girl in one of the compound schools,
and about twelve shillings per annum for each child,
will pay all the expenses of a day school ; yet it
requires a large annual sum to maintain nearly two
hundred girls on the former plan, and to provide
day schools for about six hundred others.*

The Church Missionary Society now provides for
the entire maintenance of six girls at each station ;
but for all beyond this, the schools are wholly
dependent on the liberality of private friends. In
some cases the Missionaries have been assisted by
their own personal friends both in England and
Germany, and not unfrequently by European gen-
tlemen residing in the districts. The Society for
Female Education in the East, has made several
kind and liberal grants to this object, and a con-
siderable portion of the required fiinds has arisen
from sums collected by friends in England, and
entrusted to Mr. Tucker, for this special purpose.
Some of these have been given to the general pur-
poses of female education, and others have been

• In Tinnevelly and Travancore there are now seven
hundred and sixty-five girls in the different schoob con-
nected with the Church Mis^onary Society.

dbyGoOgk

FEMALE SCHOOLS. 151

specially appropriated to the use of one particular
school or one individual child. For example ;
besides the schooL I have told you of at Anbina
gram, another clergyman has supplied means for the
building of a school at Meignanapuram, and partly
supports it. Friends at Hastings have contributed
to Mrs. Pettitt's and Mrs. Schaffiber's schools, and^ the
teachers and children in the Hastings Sunday School
support a little girl in that at Nalloor. One of Mrs.
Pettitt's scholars owes her support to the younger
members of a &.mily in Kent, and another in the
same school is indebted to the self-denial of a young
lady, who sent her first payment with the observation,
that it would only oblige her to have " one dress less
in the course of the year.'* Three ladies at a village
in £ent, maintain a child at Suveisashapuram ; and
another is supported by a lady lately resident at
T^bridge WeUs.

Great assistance has also been afforded by the
produce of ladies' work, either sent to Madras, or
disposed of among friends in England. This last
mode is the best where it can be adopted ; and one
Missionary basket alone in the course of the last year
by this means, cast .£78 into the treasury of the
Lord.

You will, dear Lucy, enter into the feelings of
pleasure with which these sums are distributed, and
the thankfulness awakened by the receipt of such a
letter as the following : —

Digitized by VjOOQIC

152 LBTTBE XIV.

" I have sent away all my giris but ten, and my
funds were getting so very low, that I had made up
my mind to give up the school altogether ; but a few
Mends have sent me some help, and yours coming
also, I am encouraged to go on with it ; and I trust
our Lord will further help, and graciously bless our
weak endeavours, to the real conversion of the girls
under our charge. I should be delighted if I could
increase my number to what I formerly had (between
thirty and forty), but I have heeai obliged to send
away many a girl, who has come to me begging to be
received."

Or, when the following reached Madras, "The
state of our girls* school is getting serious, it is
deeply in debt — ^what is to be done ? To go on is
impossible. — To break it up will be doing the Mission
more harm than can well be conceived*' — ^you will
judge how pleasant it must have been to be abj©?
partly by the kindness of the Society for Female
Education, and partly from other sources, to answer it
by a remittance, which will for the present prevent
the evil.

Do all you can, my dear friend, to excite an
interest in these schools, and above all, to stir up a
spirit of prayer, that while the silver and the gold
may not be lacking, the Spirit of GK)d will make the
work effectual to the salvation of many souls.

We must now think of leaving Tinnevelly. I
could indeed have given you many more interesting

Digitized by Google

FBMALE SCHOOLS. 153

accounts of both children and adults ; but besides that
want of space forbids it, I feel it is undesirable to
speak much of those still alive ; and of those who
are ^one to their rest I know but few particulars,
that haye not already been published in the Church
Missionary Records.

I remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.
Note— The writer will be happy to give farther par-
ticulars of these schools to any friend who may wish for
them.—Address S. T. care of Messrs. Nisbet &Co , 21,
Bemers Street, Oxford Street.

dbyGoOgk

LETTER XV.

My Dear Lucy,

Wb have been too much engaged with the moral
state of Tinnevelly, to pay much attention to its
natural history, but before we quite leave the country,
I must point out one or two objects of interest.
The first shall be the curious nests of the " Bava," or
Bottle-bird, which though not peculiar to Tinnevelly,
are seen here in great numbers hanging from the
branches of the cocoa ^ut trees ; and at a distance
might be mistaken for a pale brown fruit of unusual
size, and strange shape.

At the proper season the little builders may be seen
perched on the cocoa nut trees, and with their bills,
stripping the fibres of the leaves into long threads.
These they fasten to the under side of the feather-
like foliage, and working downwards, are not long in
preparing a habitation for their friture family, and
the wood-cut will give you some notion of its peculiar
form. So light, and yet so strong is the texture of
these neatly woven nests, that while they appear so
fragile that a breath of air would scatter them in every
direction, they are so firmly wrought that you may

dbyGoogk

BAVA

155

see them swinging to and fro in
a gale of wind, without the
slightest injury. They are some-
. times as much as two feet in
length; the entrance is from
below, and a snug and secure
apartment is formed, by a par-
tition that divides the lower
half of the bulging projection
from the rest. Here the eggs
are deposited, and the young
are reared, safe from the inroads
of their enemies, particularly
the snakes, who would make
havoc, if they could reach

NEST OP THE BAVA. them.

These birds have a curious custom of catching fire-
flies, and fastening them to the inside of their nest
with a piece of clay. The natives say it is to give
the young ones light ; but perhaps it may be, that
as they are excluded from the sight of external
objects, the parent birds take this mode of teaching
them to catch their future food. The clay is to be
seen in almost every nest, and now and then the fly
has been found adhering to it.

I should like to shew you a " Taylor-bird" making
its nest, in a very different way, and with very different
materials. Choosing some tree whose leaves will be

dbyGoogk

156 LETTBB XV.

large and strong enough for the purpose, the little
workman looks out for two leaves that lie near
together, and in the same direction ; and stealing a
piece of cotton from some neighbouring plantation,
pierces the edges of the leaves with' its bill, and
£uitens them together by drawing the cotton through
the holes. Both sides are thus sewed together about
half way down ; the inside is "lined chpicely" with
the softest cotton, and the whole becomes a safe and
unsuspected hiding-place.

The flowers too in many parts of Tinnevelly are
some of them very pretty ; but I will only mention a
kind of grass, whose long silken plume is more
beautiful than any thing of the kind I ever saw ;
and a little flower, whose brilliant blue will carry your
thoughts to England, and her early hedge-rows.

And now bidding farewell to Tinnevelly, and all
its scenes of interest and hope, we will pursue our
journey to the coast of Malabar.

I can fancy, that as your eye turns to the moun-
tain ridge that separates us from the western coast,
you are longing to explore its narrow defiles and
rugged passes ; to see the plantations of cofiee, nut-
megs, and cloves in their rich beauty on the sloping
hills; to enjoy the grandeur of the mountain scenery',
and amid these "strong foundations of the earthy
whence torrents have their birth," to watch the streams
now for a little space winding like a silver thread

dbyGoogk

JOUENET CONTIKUED. 157

along a level piece of brilliant verdure, and now
tumbling in wild impetuous haste from rock to rock.
But you must restrain your roving wish, for you
cannot penetrate the rocky barrier : there are some
mountain passes, but they are only traversed by
native travellers, and by bullocks lightly laden, and
would not do for you,

Tou might perhaps accomplish the pass of Arangole,
near Courtallum, which was formerly the chief mili-
tary road from Trichinopoly to Quilon, but this we
have left behind us to the north ; the jungle, too, is
unhealthy at some seasons of the year, and we shall
do better to content ourselves with the less romantic,
but safer, and more frequented road that passes near
Cape Comorin.

Continuing our course then to the south, and
skirting the southern extremity of the Ghauts, we
shall soon cross the Aranhooly lines, the boundary
between the British territory and that of the Rajah
of Trayancore. It once was, or was supposed to be,
a formidable means of defence, but is now only a
decayed wall.

We are now in Travancore, and you will be
delighted with the change of scenery ; the dry sandy
plains of the south-east of Tinnevelly, with their
unvaried /orests of the stiff palmyra, are exchanged
for the most beautiful variety of hill and dale, clothed
with magnificent forest trees of every size, and form.

dbyGoogk

158 LETTEE XV.

and hue, or coyered with unceasing verdure. Paddy
grounds, " where therioe-crops never fail," are watered
by picturesque and winding rivers ; and the whole
will remind you, though on a larger and bolder
scale, of the finest parts of your own native land.

And now you must remember you are no longer
under British jurisdiction ; the country we are in
does not acknowledge our own Queen as its Sovereign
Lady ; for Travancore and Cochin are governed by
their own native princes,, though we have a British
Resident at both these courts.

Turning northward, we shall soon reach Trivan-
drum, the residence of the present Bajah of Travan-
core, and where he has established a school for native
boys, in which English is taught, and the Holy
Scriptures are admitted without reserve. This is the
more remarkable, as though a clever and intelligent
man, he is still held in bondage by the Bramins ; he
has even expended large sums of money in his endea-
vour to become one himself, but though he has been
allowed to purchase some Braminical privileges, he
cannot be fully admitted to the caste, nor can he
even eat with his own Dewan, (or Prime Minister,)
who is a Bramin. His brother, the presumptive heir
to the throne, called the Ulia Rajah, is equally intel-
ligent, and less bigotted. He is very anxious for
information, fond of reading, and has gone through a
course of general history, with an English gentleman

dbyGoogk

TBAYANOOBE. 159

there. He has more independence of character than
his brother, and must be less under the influence of
caste, for on being one day reminded that he would
incur pollution by something he was touching, he
merely answered, "Oh, never mind, a little water will
soon set that right again."

You will smile at a curious custom that is observed
at the accession of a Sovereign ; the new Kajah is
weighed in a balance ; gold is put into the other
scale, and his weight in the precious metal is distri«-
buted as a coronation gifib among the Bramins.

The succession to the " Mumvd^' or throne, both
of Travancore and Cochin, passes exclusively through
the female branches of the Eoyal family. I will not
enter into the subject ; it will be enough to say, that
a Rajah can, in no case, be succeeded by any of his
own children. His successor must be his brother, or
sister, or sister's child ; or if these should fail, some
one who can through his mother and his mother^s
mother, &c., trace his descent from royalty.

This sad system arises from evil, and leads again
to evil — ^it also produces a want of respect very incon-
sistent with our English notions, and still more so
with the usual Eastern habits ; and neither the father
nor the son of the reigning sovereign receives the
deference we should consider due.

One day when an English gentleman high in
authority in Travancore received a visit from the

dbyGoogk

160 LETTBB XV.

Rajah of Cochin, a lady of the family passing through
the outer room where a crowd of attendants were
waiting to convey their master back again, observed
a very nice looking old man standing without on the
steps, and on inquiry was told it was the Kajah's
father. Her English feelings would not let her suffer
him to remain without, below even the attendants of
his son ; but she found it excited great surprise when
she not only invited him in, but ordered a chair to
be placed for him, though, of course, only in the
outer room.

The natives of rank are, generally speaking, very
fond of English society, yet this has not hitherto pro-
duced any freedom of intercourse; the same lady
who showed such respect to the Eajah of Cochin's
father, on being urgently invited to visit the wife of
the Bajah of Travancore, was not a little surprised at
the request that she would go at eight o'clock in the
morning, as her Highness could not touch food till
she had bathed and purified herself after the visit of
an European.

This little trait will give you some idea of the
bigotry and prejudice that exist among the women
of the higher classes in this dark land. How one
longs that some of our country-women could get
access to these secluded and untaught, but often
amiable beings, and lead their minds to higher and
holier objects than now engage them ; and may we

dbyGoogk

ELIA RAJAH. 161

not hope that bj d^ees some opening may be
found ?

The Elia Bajah of Travancore^ was in the frequent
habit of visiting the same gentleman to whom I have
alluded, and was always much interested in the con-
rersation and occupations of the ladj of the house.
One day she was employed on a piece of patchwork,
with which he was greatly delighted, and the next
day sent her a supply of scraps of silk from all the
tailors' boxes in the palace. Another day he found
her engaged in worsted work ; this was still more
curious to him, and he exclaimed, " I wish our ladies
would learn to do something like this." She asked
him how they did employ themselves, to which he
answered, '^ In dressing, eating, and sleeping." She
immediately observed, ''But since your Highness
seems to think this an unprofitable way of their
spending their time, why should you not begin with
your own household, and teach them something
better V And though the laugh of incredulity that
this remark excited, and his reply that " they were
too stupid to learn," did not give any immediate
hope, the conversation could scarcely fail to make
some impression on a mind like his.

May the rays of Divine Truth speedily penetrate
the inmost recesses of these native palaces, and
enlighten and cheer their inmates with heavenly
light and life !

dbyGbogk

162 LETTBE XV.

Trivandrum is an important and interesting
station, and offers an excellent opening for a mission
and for schools. The amount of probable good is
incalculable, but the same difficulty still meets us :
There are rieither fimds nor labourers.

But to resume our journey — I ought sooner to have
called your attention to the change in the form of the
Pagoda, for the high and heavy, yet handsome goprums
have disappeared, and their place is supplied by build-
ings more like the English tithe-bam of former days.

Your attention will, however, chiefly be att^^acted
by the numerous Christian churches that meet your
eye. They are built of a reddish stone, with deep
sloping roofe ; they very rarely have a tower, but the
chancel is higher than the body of the Church, and ,\

its roof sometimes looks like the pigeon-house towers I

of some of our early English Churches. The windows
are narrow and round headed, and the west end is
generally white-washed and adorned with crosses.

The population is greatly mixed both in Travancore
and Cochin. The bulk of the people are Heathen ;
but there are many Mohammedans among them, and
a large proportion of Christians.* A few of these are
Protestants — the descendants of the Dutch, who had
* Nearly one-seventh are Christian. According to the
Goyemment Censns in 1836, the total number of inhabi-
tants in these two states is 1,568,844, of whom 33»700 are
Roman Catholics, 85,128 Syro-Roman8» and 125,356
Syrians.

dbyGoOgk

BOMAN CATHOLICS. 163

possesion of Cochin, <fec. for 150 years, from 1663, —
the rest are either Roman CatkolicSy Syro-Romans,
or Syrians,

The Roman Ca£kolicB are chiefly to be met with
near the coast ; they consist partly of the descendants
of the Portuguese, who were the first European
settlers in this part of the country, (ahout 1520,) and
partly of native converts from among the low castes,
particularly the fishermen. They are divided into
two parties ; the one under the original Portuguese
Archbishoprics of Goa and Oranganore ; the other
under Vicars Apostolic, who come direct from
Rome : — ^Italians, French, and Irish. The Pope
upholds the latter ; and those who adhere to the old
establishment of Goa and its dependencies are de-
clared to be schismatics. These two parties are always
quarrelling, sometimes fighting, and blood has been
shed in their struggles.*

Alas ! like their brethren in TinneveUy, they have
little of Christianity but the name ; and agree too
well with the character given by the Abb6 Dubois,
of the general state of the members of his Church in
India. To use his own words, "by far the greater
number exhibit nothing but a vain phantom, an
empty shade of Christianity ;" nor need we wonder at
it, for it was little more than " an empty shade of

* The same division exists (thongh not with bloodshed)
in Madras.

dbyGoogk

164 LETTSB XT.

Christianity/* that had been presented to them, and
how then could substantial firuit be expected ?

The first European Missionary in the south of
India was Francis Xayier. A Spaniard of noble birth,
sincere, ardent, and devoted, but strongly attached
to Ignatius Loyola, and with his mind warped by
the false principles of his Order* — ^he was selected
by the Pope and the King of Portugal, as the fittest
person to be entrusted with the establishment of the
Church of Rome in India. But though he won the
hearts of the people by his affectionate and gentle
manner, his patience under want and suffering, and
the earnestness of his deportment ; and though the
number of heathens said to have been baptized by his
own hands is almost incredible,t it is sad to read
how little his teaching agreed with that of our Lord
and his apostles. We can trace in it no preaching of
" the law, as a school-master to bring" his hearers "to
Christ /' no attempt to convince them of sin and
guilt, or to lead the sinner to a crucified Saviour
for pardon, and to the Holy Spirit for a renewed
heart. Ignorant of the languages, and finding no
efficient interpreters, he procured a translation of
the Lord's Prayer, Ten Commandments, and Creed,
together with some addresses to the Virgin and other

* He was one of the earliest Jesuits,
t The Roman Catholics in Tinnevelly are the descend-
ants of his converts.

dbyGoOgk

FRANCIS XAYIEB. 165

saints ; and assembling the people, would make them
repeat alter kim this mixture of truth and error over
and oyer again, till thej had learnt it by rote, when
he considered them fit for baptism, on their promising
to renounce their idols. But his own upright mind
was little satisfied with the spiritual state of his con*
Terts; and though there is good hope that a few
among than were truly converted to God, yet he
himself wrote of his disappointment, at discovering
^^in the manners and prejudices of the natives, an
insurmountable bar to the progress of Christianity
among them,'* — ^and of his "being entirely dis-
heartened by the apparent impossibility of making
real converts.** How strange it is that it never seems
to have occurred to him that it was more probable
the fault should lie in his own unscriptural mode of
teaching,* than in any peculiar unfitness in the native

* The means adopted by later Missionaries on the
eastern side of the Peninsula were far more unscriptural.
It is recorded of Robert de Nobili, the founder of the
Roman Catholic Mission at Madura, and of other Jesuits^
who accompanied him, that in order to obtain a favourable
reception from the Bramins, they pretended to be them-
selves descended from Brnhmft, and to be ^ the Bramins
of the West." They declared that Brahmd had sent them
to instruct their Indian brethren on some points with
which they were unacquainted ; and in order more efiPec-
tuaUy to ingratiate themselves with them, and to carry on
the deception, they adopted their dress and customs.
They even assumed the ^ C&vi" or yellow dress of the

dbyGoogk

166 LETTEB XT.

updnd to reoeiye the Word of Life. — " Go ye into aU
nations, and preach the Gospel to every creature,'*

The privilege of declaring the truth as it is in
Jesus has been reserved for our own country and our
own age. Some sheep have been already gathered
into the Saviour's fold, and would we but arise and
answer the present call from all parts of India, surely
we might humbly hope they would be increased a
thousand fold. But now adieu for the present. In
my next I wiU tell you more of the Syrians and
Syro-Bpomans.

Believe me.

Yours a£fectionately,
S. T,

Hindoo devotees, and wore upon their forehead the wafer
spot of Siva ; wlule, instead of giving them the Bible^ and
preaching Christ without reserve, they composed and
circulated works in which some parts of our Lord's history
were mixed up with Hindoo legends ! We need not then
be surprised either at the number of their nominal con-
verts, nor at the want of real Christianity among them.

dbyGoogk

167

LETTER XVL.

My Deab Lttot,

When Vasco di Gama and his companions first
arrived on the shores of Malabar, in 1498, we can
readily picture to ourselves their feelings of wonder
and curiosity, at the strange and unknown objects that
presented themselves. But with what surprise must
they have observed a number of Christian Churches,
and found that many of these strangers, so entirely
unlike themselves in colour, dress, language, and
habits, were yet united to them by the bond of a
common faith, and that a considerable and influential
body of Christians existed among the heathen
inhabitants of the western coast of India.

These were the Syrian Christians of Malabar :
the origin of their Church is veiled in obscurity,* but
in an original MS. still to be found among them, it
is related that the Apostle Thomas brought the
Gospel to them, a.d. 52, that he made many con-
verts, and, after residing there for some years, crossed
to " Meliapore," (St. Thome, near Madras) and was, as
I have before mentioned, put to death on the mount
that still bears his name.

* See La Croze's Histoire du Christianisme, &c. ; and
Bev. J. Hough's work on the same subject.

dbyGoogk

168 LETTER XVI.

Many writers doubt the correctness of this state-
ment, and attribute their conversion to. Missionaries
sent from Alexandria, hj St. Mark, but I do not
myself see why St. Thomas, to whom it appears was
assigned the countries of Parthia and Bactria, might
not have crossed the " Stony Girdle," that forms the
northern boundary of Hindostan, and visited the
shores of the Peninsula.

But through whatever channel God was pleased to
send to these distant people the message of His love^
there seems reason to suppose they received the
Gospel in the first, or early in the second century of
our era ; and as one of the prelates who attended the
Council of Nice, a.i>. 325, is mentioned as the metro-
politan of Persia and Great India, the Christians of
Malabar must have then been in connexion with that
Patriarchate*

I do not think that much was known of them from
this time, except that a merchant of Alexandria,
writing about the year 547, of a visit he had made
to these countries^ after speaking of the Christians he
had met with in the island of " Taprobane," (Ceylon)
goes on to say that he had also seen those '' in Maid
where pepper grows," who had " their own priests and
a bishop from Persia."

In the following century, the rise and spread of
the Mohammedan power prevented any intercourse
between the western churches and these distant
brethren ; and for many ages their very existence

dbyGoogk

SYRIAK GHBISTIAKS OF MALABAR. 169

seems to have been forgotten by Europeans. We
know little of their internal history during this long
period ; we can only hope^^ and confidently believe
that amidst all the errors and cormptions which in
common with the other eastern Churches, crept in
among them, God did not leave Himself without
witnesses ; and that many a heart received the grace
of God to its eternal salvation*

When the Portuguese arrived in Malabar, they
found a regularly constituted Church in externals,
with Deacons, CatanAra, (or Priests) and a Metran^
(or Bishop) whom they received from Mosiil, at that
time the seat of the ancient Patriarchate of Persia,
They were in possession of extraordinary privileges,
which had been conferred on them by Ceram
Peroumal, the heathen Emperor of Malabar, in the
nmth century, and which had been continued to
them by the Princes, among whom his territory was
afterwards divided. Their rank was fixed next to the
Bramins, above even the Nairs, or military chiefs ;
and they were allowed in civil and ecclesiastical
matters, (though not in criminal cases) to be governed
by their own Metran. They were permitted to have
enclosed porches to their houses, a privilege enjoyed
only by the Bramins, and even to ride on an elephant^
an honour peculiar to the Royal family.''^

* At one time they were sufficiently powerful to assert
their entire independence — they threw off the heathen

dbyGoOgk

170 LBTTEB XVI.

The Portuguese writers speak of them as being
superior in their appearance and deportment, to the
heathen among whom they dwelt ; their general
character was temperate, industrious, upright, and
courteous ; and the fifth commandment was especially
honoured by them. They would never sit in the
presence of their parents, elders, or superiors, unless
desired to do so, and when spoken to, would put their
left hand upon their mouth* to denote attention. The
women are described as modest and retiring, and the
men as expert hunters and excellent soldiers. Their
disposition is said to have been peaceable, though
they seldom appeared abroad unarmed, generally
carr3dng a naked sword in one hand, and a buckler
in the other. They were in good circumstances, and
carried on a profitable trade in pepper, and in the
produce of the palmyra.

Fair as this picture at first sight appears, it will
not bear to be looked into too closely. With so,
many outward good qualities, they exhibited a sad
want of Christian graces ; they had indeed kept
themselves from the heathenism with which they
were surrounded ; but they had not escaped the
contagion of pride, worldliness, and the love of
power. We are told that they carefully avoided

yoke, and for a while were governed by their own kings,
though afterwards they again became subject to the petty
Bajahs of the country.
• Job xxix. 9.

dbyGoogk

STBIAN 0HBI8TIANS OF HALABAB. 171

touching any person of inferior caste, even a
Nair ; that in the roads and streets they would cry
out from a distance, that the passers by might be
prepared to show them honour, and that if any refused
they were at liberty to punish him on the spot. They
had even accepted the permission of putting to death
any heathen who should strike a Christian; and
though this was not always put into execution, the
offender was only pardoned on condition of his pre-
senting a gold or silver hand to the church of the
injured person.

But you will the less wonder at so universal a want
of humility and love among the Christians of Malabar,
when I tell you that they had the Scriptures only in
an unknown tongue ; for while the language of the
people was Malay-^lim, the Bible and Liturgy were
in the ancient Striae, and not understood except by
the Catanto, and by very few even of theml Errors
in doctrine, and superstitions in practice, had been
also introduced, and there is too much cause to fear
that they had little more than " a name to live."

Whether they were restless under the mild govern-
ment of their heathen princes, or whether it seemed
to them more fitting that Christian subjects should
be governed by a Christian -king, I cannot tell ; but
when Vasco di Ghuna made his second voyage in 1502,
they sent him a deputation, begging him to take
them under his protection. The deputation brought
with them a staff of verinillion wood, mounted at

r Digitized by VjOOQIC

172 LETTEB ZYL

each end with silver, and ornamented with three
silrer bells. This they said was the sceptre of their
own former kings, and thej begged him to present it
to the king of Portugal. They were received with
much kindness, and many fair promises ; and little
could these poor people then suppose, that before
many years had elapsed they would have cause so
bitterly to regret this confidence in their new
acquaintances, or that Christians would treat them
withfur greater cruelty than Pagans or Mohammedans.

For forty years, however, no notice seems to have
been taken of this message, and the Syrians continued
without molestation to receive their Bishops from
Mos(il, and to conduct their ecclesiastical affairs as
before.

In the meantime, the power of the Portuguese
gradually increased in India. In the course of a few
years they had obtained settlements along the whole
western coast ; they had sent a bishop and priestsf,
^nd had established Goa as their chief ecclesiastical
station ; where they afterwards introduced the inqui<-
sition. Fearful indeed is the description given of this
unjust tribunal, — ^the dark dungeons, the intolerable
tortures inflicted on those who were only accused of
what they called heresy, and the flames that awaited
those who were convicted of it, are too dreadM to
dwell upon. For more than 250 years did the inqui-
sition at Goa exercise its hateful power; but in
1816 it was suppressed, I trust for ever, by the Prince-

dbyGoogk

STRIAN GHBISTIANS OF MALABAB. 173

Begent of Portugal It contained 200 cells for
prisoners, one-half of which were lighted hj an iron
grating, the other half were totally dark.''^

But Rome could not long permit the Syrian
Churches to remain undisturbed ; and under the pre-
tence of rooting out their errors in doctrine, she
began her attempts to bring them into subjection to
herself In 1545, she sent out Father Vincent, a
Franciscan friar, who was at first received as a
Christian brother, till the Syrians, discovering his real
designs, set themselves strenuously to oppose him.
The Jesuits observing the failure of Father Vincent's
plans, took the matter into their own hands, but at
first with no better success. In vain did they build
a college for the education of the Syrian youths, and
persuade many to put themselves under their instruc*
tion; — ^the young men, when ordained, refused to
preach against their own prelates, and those among
them who were suspected of having imbibed the
opinions of Home, were excluded from the Churches.
In vain too did the Boman Catholics attempt to
draw aside the multitude by processions and pageants
in honour of the Virgin Mary — the churches were
closed against them, and the people, shutting their
eyes, and turning away their heads, cried out, " We
are Christians, we do not worship idols." But popery
is of too determined a character to be so easily re-
* It is now falling to decay.

dbyGoogk

174 LETTBB XVT.

pulsed ; the Jesuits persevered in their attempts, and,
in 1595, thej were supplied with a fitting and suc-
cessful agent in F. Alexio Menezes, who was made
Archbishop of Goa»

I shall not enter into any lengthened history of the
unholy means made use of by Menezes and his pre-
decessors to attain their object, but only mention very
briefly some of the leading facts in this painful history.

In answer to the arrogant claim of Rome to the
right of universal dominion, the Syrians repre-
sented their own unbroken descent from the eastern
churches — ^this was met by the most unblushing
falsehoods ; and their appeal to the records of their
churches, in proof of their assertion, was settled by
the Jesuits seizing and burning all their ecclesiastical
documents they could lay their hands upon. The
-Metrans were one after another seized; one was
murdered by the Inquisition at Goa; another was
sent to Portugal, and disappeared in some mysterious
way ; and the ports were closed against any who
might be seAt from MosM to supply their place.

Menezes, however, notwithstanding all his con-
summate art, his flexibility of principle, and fixedness
of purpose, found he had undertaken no easy task.
In a visitation he made throughout the churches, he
often found himself received with coldness, or with
indignation. At one place the church was filled
with armed men, ready to oppose him ; at another,

dbyGoogk

SYRIAN CHRISTIANS OF MALABAR. 175

the inhabitants left the place on his approach ;
neither man^ woman, nor child was to be seen in the
streets, and his own followers were the only listeners
to his exhortations. Bat, undismayed, by all this
opposition, he steadily pursued his course. Treaties
were made and broken as suited his present
purpose ; the aid of heathen princes was called in ;
and stratagems and force were alternately employed
to reduce the Syrians to obedience.

For more than fifty years was this struggle carried
on ; and alas ! what a melancholy spectacle was pre-
sented to the heathens around ! Christians contending
against each other in an ungodly warfare, and with
carnal weapons ; for though the Syrians, it is true,
had justice on their side^ and did not equal the
Boman Catholics in violence and cruelty ; they fell
but little short of them in falsehood and deceit*

Heavenly armour alone could have protected them
from an enemy like Menezes ; and this unhappily
they had never sought for ; so that at last, worn out '
and dispirited, they gave up the contest, and con-
sented to abide by the decision of a Synod proposed
by their artful foe.

This assembly was held at Diamper, in 1599 ; and
it must have brought their present degradation
more strongly to the minds of these poor people
when they remembered that the spot on which,
they now met to sign away their liberties had

dbyGoogk

176 LBTTEB XVL

once been the residence of their own independent
flOYereigns.

Menezes had taken care that any Catan^ likely
to thwart his views should be excluded from this
Synod ; all present were persuaded or compelled to
sign the articles he had previously prepared ; and the
"Constitution of their church was, by the decrees of
this Synod, materially altered. They were required
to acknowledge-the supremacy of the Pope— -transub-
Btantiation and purgatory — ^to adopt the use of
images, the adoration of saints, and masses and
prayers for the dead, and to enforce the celibacy of the
clergy. The married Catanars were excommunicajted,
unless they put away their wives ; and one poor man,
who dreaded the one, and could not resolve upon the
Other, died in a few days of a broken heart.

Outward unity was now established among the
Christian Churches on the coast of Malabar, but the
Syrians groaned in secret under the Jesuits' heavy
yoke. The bondage became more and more intole-
rable, and in 1656, symptoms of dissatisfaction begap
openly to appear. Some of the churches on the
coast, uniting with a few in the interior, who had
continued to maintain their independence, attempted
to emancipate themselves, but their Portuguese and
Homish masters were as yet too strong for them, and
nothing effectual was accomplished till the Dutch
took possession of Cochin in 1663.

dbyGoogk

STBIAN CHBISTIANS 07 MALABAS. 177

This event enabled those Churches who had not
quite sunk into Popish superstition to £ree them-
selves £*om their foreign tyrants and to i^-establish
their former constitution. They sent again for a
bishop from MosM, but there was none among them
to awaken a spirit of scriptural reformation, and
their former errors and superstitions were still in-
creased by the addition of others they had learnt
£rom Rome. These are still called Syriam.

A great number had however sunk too low to
care for even this partial deliverance; they have
willingly continued under the dominion of the
Pope, and are distinguished by the name of Syro-
Somans, Their public worship differs from the
Roman Catholic only in the use of Syriac instead of
Latin ; and they are in a melancholy state of corrup-
tion, both in doctrine and practice*

Strange as it may seem, the Protestant Churches
of Europe remained all this time ignorant or un-
mindful, not only of the struggles and sufferings of
the Syrian Church in Malabar, but of its very
existence ; and the publication of the work of La
Croze, in 1724, seems to have been the fu«t time that
any attention was excited for this ancient church so
peculiarly situated in the midst of heathens.

In 1725, the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge made an attempt, through their Mission-
aries at Tranquebar, to become better acquainted

dbyGoogk

178 LETTEE XVI.

with their actual circumstances, and to ascertain the
practicability of their union with some Protestant
Church ; but the attempt was unsuccessful, and the
Syrians were again forgotten till Dr. Buchanan's
visit to them in 1806.

His account awakened a more general interest for
them ; Colonel Macaulay, the English resident in
Travancore, adopted measures for their benefit, and
his successor, Colonel Munro, exerted himself still
more actively on their behalf.

At this time they were in a deplorable situation j
the Roman Catholics had continued to persecute
them with unrelenting animosity ; the princes of the
country took advantage of their defenceless state to
plunxler and insult them ; and the Dutch, from poli-
tical motives, abandoned them to their fate. The
few copies of the Holy Scriptures they had among
them were in the ancient Syriac ; their liturgy, also
in the same unknown tongue, waa fall of error and
superstition, and their clergy were, generally speaking,
ignorant and immoral.

Colonel Munro began by obtaining from the
Rannee (or Queen) of Travancore, relief from many
of the unjust and oppressive burdens that had been
imposed upon them ; and anxious likewise for their
mental and spiritual improvement, entered into com-
munication with the Rev. Marmaduke Thompson,
then one of the Honourable East India Company's

dbyGoogk

STEIAN CHRISTIANS OF MALABAB. 179

Chaplains at Madras, whose name is so well known
to all who have inquired into the history of missions
in Southern India.

In consequence of Mr. Thompson's representations
to the Church Missionary Society, they resolved to
establish a Mission on this coast, and fixed on
Alleppie, Cottayam, and Cochin, as the three sta-
tions to be occupied ; but I must reserve any account
of these for a future letter.

Believe me,

Yours affectionately,
S.T.

litizedbyGoOgk

180

LETTER XVIL

My dbab Luot,

The last place we stopped at was Trivandrum, and
soon after leaying it, we shall find we must qnit our
palanquins, and getting into a covered boat with
twelve or fourteen rowers, pursue our course along
the Backwater, If you look at the little map that
accompanies this letter^ you will see that besides the
rivers that intersect this part of the country in all
directions, there is a long sheet of water running
parallel to the sea, and extending from Quilon in the
south, to Ohowgaut and Triohoor in the north. Thjs
is the Backwater ; it is in some places narrow, but in
others, seven or eight miles in breadth, and being
navigable throughout, affords a safe and easy mode of
inland communication.

As we glide swiftly and pleasantly along, you will
be delighted with the ever varying scene. The still
and glittering surface of the water is ruffled only by
the boats of fishermen plying their busy task, or by
the slighter motion of those that are lying sheltered
and at rest beneath the plumes of cocoa-nut trees
that gracefully bend over them. Here, we shall pass

dbyGoogk

{^no^fut

ji» A ii> jir- w

KlXr.DDMSi OF
TRATAXrOUK ^

Seal* vf MSU*.

dbyGoogk

ALLEPPIE. 181

some picturesque and wooded island — there, a neat
and pretty cottage will present itself^-while now and
then, the white-washed western end of some Syrian or
Syro-Roman Church peeps out froin among the trees,
and awakens a prayerful wish, that the time may
come when the cross that ornaments it shall no longer
be an empty symbol, but a faithful witness that
'^ Christ crucified'* is preached within its walls.

After rowing several miles, a canal opening to
the sea will carry us to AUeppie. This is a large
town, and the chief port on this coast for the export
of pepper and other spices. The houses, thickly set
among cocoa-nut trees, extend three miles along the
water, and contain a mixed population of about
44,000.* Heathens, Mohammedans, Roman Catholics,
and Syro-Bomans, a few Parsees and Arabs from the
Persian Qulf, may all be met with here, besides
strangers from all parts of the world who visit it for
purposes of trade. The Mission compound is in the
very heart of the town ; and the canal which passes
the gate, affords a constant and ready access to the
numerous Tillages that lie around.

The first Missionary stationed here, was the Rev.
T. Norton, in 1816 j and I should like to give you
many particulars of his quiet useful course, of his joy
as one heathen afber another renounced idolatry, and

* The population of the whole district is calculated at
250,000.

dbyGoogk

182 LETTER XVn.

a few Roman Catholics joined our church, till in
1839 he numbered 560 baptized persons in his con-
gregation. I might tell jou also of his many dis-
couragements,'*^ and of the opposition he met with,
especially from the Roman Catholics, but my space is
too limited, and I must only tell you, that after
twenty-four years of patient persevering labours, he
was, in 1840, called to another world, by the Master
he had so long loved and s«rved on earth.

Besides building a church, Mr. Norton established
several schools, and a boys' seminary in the Mission
compound ; and in 1818, Mrs. Norton began a girls'
school.

Speaking of these in 1835, when he paid a visit to
AUeppie, the Rev. J. Tucker mentioned that " the
character of the whole establishment was that of
cheerfulness, good order, and proper discipline." I
know that the girls' school in particular stood high
in the opinion of those who were acquainted with it,
and though I can give you none of its interior details,
I remember hearing how much the late Mrs. Norton

* Writing home on this subject, he adds, "Yet balan-
cing the value of one single soul with millions of irrational
worlds, and finding it outweigh them all, I cannot but be
grateful for the little, little as it is, that has been accom-
plished. It is more than all the angels with the Church
in heaven, and all the men on earth, could of themselves
have effeoted. A soul bom again is a new creation, the
work of Almighty Power."

dbyGoOgk

ALLEPPIE. 183

was cheered and gratified, at being welcomed home
after an absence on account of illness, by a hymn of
praise, which, unknown to any one, her scholars had
learnt for the occasion. I could show you too a spe-
cimen of their patchwork, which in accuracy of
arrangement, and neatness of execution, is superior
to any I have seen from schools in England.

The Rev. J. Hawkesworth has succeeded Mr.
Norton, and is now labouring at AUeppie with
diligence and zeal ; he is assisted by Mr. Ross, an
European Catechist. There are 267 children in the
various schools, of whom thirty are girls under Mrs.
Hawkesworth's immediate eye, and if the dews of
heaven continue to descend, many a plant of grace
shall spring up to their own comfort, and the glory
of their Lord.*

Till lately the girls' school was entirely maintained
by private contributions; chiefly from friends at
Clifton ; and though at present six scholars are pro-
vided for by the Church Missionary Society, the rest

♦ Accounts received since the above was written, give
very encouraging details of some visits Mr. Hawkesworth
has made to distant villages, and of the willingness, or
rather anxiety of many Bramins, and other high caste
people, to receive portions of the Scriptures. He had just
baptized a high caste man, who, though he lived eighty
miles from AUeppie, had several times visited both Mr.
Norton and himself, to obtain books and Christian
instruction.

dbyGoOgk

184 LETTER XVn.

eontinue wholly dependent on indiyidual support.
Some kind friends at Hastings have undertaken the
maintenance of three children, and it is earnestly
hoped that the death of Mr. Norton will not have
checked that liberality of former friends, which has
been so great a blessing to this station.

Upon leaving AUeppie, the same canal will take us
again into the Backwater ; and as we proceed towards
Cottayam, I cannot resist taking you a few miles up
one of the numerous rivers that empty themselves
into it. As the boat slowly makes its way against
the stream, you will enjoy the wild and beautiful
scenery on every side ; sometimes the river is so shut
in by forests, that it looks like a narrow lake, and
your eye will seek in vain where your boat can find
a passage; sometimes the woods recede, giving a
view of rising grounds, adorned with the finest trees,
and behind them the wild and picturesque heights of
the Ghauts, clothed with wood to their topmost
summit. You will admire the black and golden
plumage of the mango bird, and the dazzling purplish
blue of another, whose name I do not know ; and you
will fancy that the stately tread of the peacock is
still more stately in his own "sunny land," than
when an exile in our northern clime. In the evening,
we shall perhaps catch sight of a herd of elephants
coming to the river side to quench their thirst, or we
may be amused by a family of monkeys, old and

dbyGoogk

JUNGLE PEOPLE. 185

young, sitting on a tree, enjoying the freedom of
their native woods, and chattering at us as we pass
beneath. Perhaps too the sound of the evening bell
of some venerable looking Syrian Church, standing
on a wooded eminence^ may be wafted to us across
the valley, and awaken a long train of saddening
thoughts and cheering hopes of past and future
days.

These churches are, however, generally built by the
side of the rivers, and the rudely carved flights of
steps that lead up the steep banks tell you that ih.e
access to them must often be by water.

There are many miserable looking huts, standing
singly by the rivers, or buried deep in the sur-
rounding jungle, belonging to the " Ghurmurs,'^ or
slaves of the soil, of whom it is said there are not
less than 100,000 in Travancore and Cochin. But
there is among these woods, a race still below the
slaves, called by the English "jungle people," by the
natives, *'KurdaMtr" These wretched beings are
literally outcasts ; they must not come within a con-
siderable distance of any other person,* and if as
they pass along the public road; they see any one
approaching, they cry aloud to warn him to stop till
they have hid themselves in the jungle, where they

* It is in some measure the same with all the low caste
(or rather no caste) people on this coast ; they must retreat
to a certain distance, or else they get cruelly heaten.

dbyGoOgk

186 LETTER XVn.

howl to him for relief. They live on wild roots and
berries, or if a passing traveller should throw them
some small piece of money, they go to within ninety-
six paces of a village, (for they dare not enter one,)
and calling aloud to the bazaar man to teU him
what they want, they place the money on a stone,
and retreating to a distance, leave it to hid honesty
what quantity of food they shall receive in return.
These people are very black, the women have scarcely
more clothing than the men, and they have altogether
a more degraded appearance than you can well con-
ceive those who were once made in the image of God
could ever have sunk into. It is a comfort to know
that even these poor creatures have not been over-
looked by our Missionaries; and whenever the late
Rev. S. Ridsdale, of Cochin, heard any of them
shouting to him from the jungle, he would take
them to his house, give them food and clothing, and
declare to them the way of salvation.

Cottayam lies at some distance to the north of
Alleppie and entering the Cottayam River, we
shall soon see the pretty Syrian Church standing on
a steep bank of laterite that rises from it.

The village itself is scattered over uneven ground ;
and the Missionaries houses are on a hill commanding
beautiful views of the surrounding country.

The first Missionaries appointed to this station,
were the Rev. B. Bailey, who arrived in 1817, and

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COTTAYAM.

187

SYBIAN CHURCH OF COTTAYAM.

the Rev. Joseph Fenn, in 1818 ; and in 1819, these
were joined by the Rev. H. Baker. Mr. Bailey's
work was chiefly to carry on translations, and to take
charge of the little congregation in the place — Mr.
Baker's to visit the neighbouring villages, and Mr.
Fenn was appointed to superintend a College for the
education of the Syrian youth, which, at the sugges-
tion of Colonel Munro the Rannee of Travancore* had,
built and gradually endowed, — ^where he was soon after
joined by the Rev. Dr. Doran. The Missionaries had
the cordial support of the Metran, who then presided

* Notwithstanding all her intercourse with Europeans*
her kindness to her Christian subjects, and the opportunities
she had of becoming acquainted with Christianity, this
amiable and enlightened Princess lived and died a
heathen.

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188 LETTER XVII.

over the Churches, and who was a comparatively
enlightened man, very anxious for the improvement of
his people and for the circulation of the Scriptures.

Placed, as the Missionaries at Cottajam are, among
nominal Christians, their situation greatly differs
from that of their brethren in Tinnevelly, or even in
the other stations in Travancore ; they have little
intercourse with the heathens, and their office is not
so much to attack the strongholds of Paganism, as to
hold up a burning and shining light, by which the
darkened Syrian Churches, may rekindle their own
expiring lamps. A more silent, but not less important
work, for were these once enlightened with the pure
light of life, how would their brightness shine
throughout Southern India to the praise and glory
of God. But you will see that a work of this kind
is likely to afford less incident than missions more
directly to the heathen, and I shall pass on to the
present time, only first giving you an account of the
Cottayam Printing Press.

This Printing Press had been anxiously expected,
and its arrival was not only an unspeakable joy to
the Missionaries, but a subject of great delight to the
Metran ; it was a thing, he said, " that had often been
heard of in that country, but had never been seen."
But to Mr. Baile/s disappointment he found the types
were only English ones ; and though these would be
very useful in providing English books for the students

dbyGoogk

COTTATAM. 189

in the College, they were of no use at all in printing the
Scriptures which he had, by this time, translated into
Malay-alim. The Corresponding Committeeundertook
to have a fount of Malay-alim types cast at Madras;
a year elapsed before they arrived ; and the eagerness
with which Mr. Bailey had looked forward to their
arrival, was only equalled by his mortification at
finding them so defective and incorrect as to be
nearly uiseless. Most persons, I think, would have
been tempted to give up the attempt of printing
in Malay-alim as hopeless, and have contended
themselves with getting as many MS. copies made
as possible. But Mr. Bailey was not discouraged,
he knew how great an instrument for good the
free circulation of the word of God must ever
prove, and he knew how few copies comparatively
could be obtained by mere transcribing. Accordingly
without having ever seen a type foundry or any part
of one, he set himself to "form his own types with only
such aid as he could obtain from books and the
common native workmen. By their help he succeeded
in producing a set of types of which Colonel M'Douall
(then the Resident) speaks as extremely beautiful
and correct.. Still there was no printer ; but not dis-
heartened, Mr. Bailey so efficiently instructed an
orphan boy whom he had benevolently brought up,
that this want was soon supplied.

How pleasant it is to see a mind thus overcoming

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190 LETTER XVn.

difficulties which appeared almost insurmountable^
and this not so much by any sudden exertion, or
feeling of enthusiasm, but by steady, well-directed
persevering effort.

The printed Malay-alim Scriptures were indeed
Mr. Bailey's own. The translation was his, the
types were formed by himself, and the printing was
executed by one whom his own kindness had brought
up ; and who shall say how many hearts have had
reason to bless God that He did not permit his
servant to give up the work in despair 1*

Since that time Mr. Bailey has translated the whole
of our common Prayer Book into Malay-alim, revised
a second edition, and has now completed a Malay-alim
and English dictionary, of which the Bajah under-
takes to pay the whole cost.

Mr. Bailey and Mr. Baker still remain at Cottayam
Mr. Fenn and Dr. Doran have returned to England,
and a new college has been built, of which the Rev.
John Chapman and the Kev. J. Johnson have the
charge, and while labouring to instruct the pupils
in the various branches of human learning, are
earnestly endeavouring to instil into their minds the
principles of pure and vital godliness. There are

♦ Besides the distribution of the Scriptures among the
Syrians, many instances have occurred of Syro-Roman
and Roman Catholic Priests applying both for Syriac
and Malay-alim Bibles, and also for tracts which Mr.
Bailey is printing for the Malay-alim Church of England
Tract and Book Society.

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• OOTTAYAM. 191

seventy Syrian youths as boarders, besides a few day
scholars, (eighteen of whom are Heathens, and three
Bramins,) and their teachers speak of them with
satisfaction and hope. There is a neat Chapel attached
to the college, in which our Church service is daily
performed, in the morning in Malay-alim, and in the
evening in English. Neat and substantial churches
have, by the exertions of Mr. Bailey and Mr. Baker
been built at Cottayam* and CoUatta, and another has
been begun at Pallam, for which, as well as for the
completion of the church at Cottayam, funds are still
wanted.

Much has been done, and much we believe and
hope is still doing among the Syrian Christians, and
many of the laity have become awakeiked to the
errors in which they had been instructed ; but as a
body, the Syrian Church in Malabar is in a sadly
fallen state. Superstition and errors abound ; the
present Metran differs in every respect both in
principle and practice from his predecessor; and

* In a letter lately received from the Bishop of Calcutta,
after his metropolitan visitation of Travancore, he says : —
" The Syrian Missions are prospering. I have been preach-
ing in Mr. Bailey's fine noble church, the glory of Travan-
core—the whole area covered with devout hearers from
Cottayam and the neighbourhood. Hallelujah ! What
would Claudius Buchanan have said in 1 80G, if he could
have seen that in thirty-seven years, five English churches
—-for such is the fact—with thousands of attentive hear-
ers, would be raised !" *

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192 LETTBB XVn. •

excommunicates any of the Catanars who preach to
their people ; and very few have either the light or
the courage to brave his censure. Boys of nine or
ten years of age, and sometimes much younger, are
ordained Deacons for the sake of the fees.*

The dress of the Syrian Catanars and Deacons is
a loose garment of white cotton, reaching from the
throat to below the knees, with loose sleeves to the
wrist, and not confined round the waist. On the
head they frequently wear a small tight black scull
cap, and their feet are protected by neither shoes nor
sandals, but by a wooden sole, with two blocks
beneath to raise it from the ground, very like our
bath-dogs, only without any strap or means of
keeping it on the foot, except a wooden peg which
passes between the great toe and its adjoining neigh-
bour. It must, I am sure, require all the elasticity
of muscle for which the natives of India are remark-
able, to enable them to walk at all in this clumsy
contrivance.

The generality of the women, both Christian and
heathen, on this coast, are not ashamed to wear no
clothing above the waist j but the dress of the more
respectable among them differs but little from those
on the other coast, except in an ornament (if I may
call it so) for the ear. It is a piece of wood, or
buffalo s horn, the shape of a large cork, an inch and

* Accounts have been received of a new Metran being
on his way from Mosftl.

dbyGoOgk

OOTTAYAM. 193

a-halfy or two inches in diameter, put through a slit in
the lower part of the ear, which has gradually been
made large enough to receive it, by having larger and
larger rolls of palmyra leaf worn in it, till the ear
itself is made to reach halfway to the shoulder.

Both Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Baker have very nice
girls^ schools in their compounds. The instruction in
Mrs. Baker's school is exclusively in Malay-alim, in
Mrs. Bailey's they are also taught English ; and some
of them are sufficiently advanced to read the English
bible fluently. At both schools the elder girls read
the Malay-alim scriptures, and commit portions of
them to memory, learn the collects, prayers, and
hymns ; and the younger ones are taught Dr. Watts'
little catechisms, and shorter hymns and prayers.
They are instructed in plain needle-work, knitting,
and spinning, and you have seen the pretty samplers
that have been sent home as specimens of their
marking. These girls were as much surprised and
delighted at a doll dressed like an English cottage girl,
as those at Madras were with the housemaid I told you
of before ; and the shoes and stockings were special
objects of wonder. In return they dressed one like
themselves, a pretty looking little figure, with her
cloth neatly arranged, a muslin scarf over her head
and modestly drawn round the &,ce, and an olei school-
book in her hand. Most of these children aflbrd en-
couragement and hope to their kind teachers ; they

dbyGoogk

194 LETTEB xyn.

are generally docile, cheerfdl, and affectionate, mani-
fest a desire for improvement, and make as much
progress as can be expected. Mrs. Bailey has now
the children of some of her earliest scholars, and there
is a marked difference between them and the children
of other parents.

The lady who has the charge of one of these schools
wrote me a very pleasing account of her two oldest
scholars, of their affectionate attachment to each
other, and their readiness to attend to and instruct the
younger ones ; and, speaking of their conduct to her-
self during a severe illness, says, " it has far more than
repaid me for the time I have spent in teaching them.
They have not only been kind and attentive nurses,
but have greatly contributed to my comfort by reading
to me, and indeed doing si^ything they could to serve
me." ^ She adds, " They all need your prayers that
God may lead them to a knowledge of Christ, and
make them useful to others."

The girls at the other school gave a short time ago
an encouraging proof that the pains bestowed upon
them had not been thrown away; for previous to the
confirmation held at Oottayam by the Bishop of
Madras, in December, 1840,* finding that some of the
married women who were candidates, were prevented
by the care of their femilies from attending the

* There were on thi9 occasion nearly 200 confirmed in
tiie Gottayam district.

dbyGoogk

COTTAYAM. 195

lectures in the church, they used to go and read to
them at their own houses, and were thus the means of
imparting to them more instruction than could have
been expected.

Till lately Mrs. Baker^s school has been supported
by the Church Missionary Society, and Mrs. Bailey's
exclusively by private contributions; but in future six
girls, at each school will be provided for by the Society,
and any addition to that number must depend on the
kindness of friends. At present, one child in Mrs.
Bailey's school is maintained by a gentleman and lady
in Kent ; another, by the ladies at the head of a young
ladies' establishment near London ; a third, by their
pupils, and a fourth by a clergyman in the North of
England. Others are supported by unappropriated
sums placed at the di8pos|jl.of Mr. Tucker, and by a
very kind annual contribution from the same friends
in Nottinghamshire, who assist the " Retford school"
in Tinnevelly.

The same kind friends at Hastings, whom I men-
tioned just now, have promised to provide for three
of Mrs. Baker's scholars ; and Mrs. Johnson also re-
ceives assistance from England for two or three girls.

Each child costs about as much for its maintenance
as in Tinnevelly,* and the amount required for twenty
five or thirty girls in each school, is such as to cause
the ladies who manage them many an anxious thought.

♦ Letter 14.

dbyGoogk

196 LETTBB XVU.

One of theni; in returning her acknowledgments to the
Society for Female Education in the East, for a
present she had received from them, says, " Their kind
donation was more than usually opportune; many of
my friends in England, who had often assisted me,
having been removed by death, whilst others are from.
a reverse of fortune, unable to give me aid. Hitherto
the Lord has not suffered me to want funds to support
those He has brought under our roof, I trust for good,
though I frequently have not known from what
quarter the expenses of the following month would
come."

This is a long letter, my dear Lucy, but I could
more easily lengthen than abridge it.
Believe me,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

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197

LETTER XVIII.

My Dear Lucy,

I lasNTioNED Cochin as one of the earliest places
occupied by the Church Missionary Society in Tra-
yancore ; but, before I take you there, we will visit
the more recent station at Mavelicarh, Again taking
possession of our coyered boat, we must retrace our
progress down the Cottayam river and along the
Backwater, till we come to the broad stream of the
Panda, and ascending this beautiful river, and passing
the villages of Ohanganore and Puttencave^ with their
venerable looking churches, we shall soon reach the
smaller river that leads to Mavelicar^.

Though we are approaching the Ghauts, the country
has become low and fiat, the soil is chiefly sand, there
are no sea breezes to assuage the excessive heat of the
dry season of the year, and in the monsoon, the
rising of the rivers and the heavy rains make it damp
and sultry. It is indeed neither so pleasant nor so
healthy a place as many others, but it is of immense
importance as a Missionary Station.

It is situated in the very heart of a dense heathen
and Syrian population ; the district contains nearly

dbyGoogk

198 LETTER XVni,

270,000 inhabitants, the pagodas are numerous, and
twenty-one Syrian churches lie within a few miles of
the town. It is very much shut out from intercourse
with Europeans ; and when the Bey. Joseph Feet took
up his abode there he was looked at with wonder by
hundreds who had never before seen a white man.
But Mrs. Feet excited much more astonishment ;
soon after their arrival, she went one day into the
town to visit a sick person, and many were the specu-
lations of who or what she could be. "Is that a
woman V " Oh no, it is no woman, for she has a
Catanalr's gown on, and has nothing in her ears," were
among the expressions of wonder her appearance drew
forth.

Mavelioard was the capital of one of the little
principalitjuBs into which Travancore was formerly
divided ; .and there is much in the size of the build-
ings, the nupiber of the tanks, and its general appear-
ance, to tell you of its former greatness. A very
extensive fort," now in decay, marks the place that
was once the palace of the Eajah; and the remains of
broad and well constructed roads, planted on each side
with trees, show an unusual degree of improvement.
It is called by the natives the " Eye of Travancore,"
and one of the main roads from the other coast passes
very near the Mission premises. Many of the rela-
tions of the reigning Eajah of Travancore reside here;
and among its 64,000 inhabitants, it numbers a large

dbyGoogk

MAVBLIOAEB. 199

proportion of Nairs ; and a crowd of Bramins are
supported at the public expense. The Syrians,
amounting to several thousands, hare a richly en-
dowed Church, and are generally in good circum-
stances ; so that the missionary work in Mavelicar^,
both as to the heathen and Christians, lies chiefly
among the higher classes.

For twenty years it had been looked upon by the
Church Missionary Society as a most desirable situa-
tion, but want of funds prevented their occupying
it till 1838, when the Rev. Joseph Peet was removed
there from Cottayam* Though the Society could not
afford to erect a Church, they engaged to build him
a house; but he resolved not to occupy any dwelling
of his own till he had in some way or other provided
a place for the public worship of God. Difficulties
presented themselves on every side, but the blessing
of God rested on Mr. Peet's perseverance, self-denial,
and industry ; and, aided by the kindness of friends,
and often working on the building with his own hands,
they were at last overcome. By the help of Mrs.
Peet the little building was neatly and appropriately
fitted up. The inside was, (with the exception of
pews), altogether English ; for a ceiling they had nice
white mats ; the floor was covered with the pretty
grass mats of the country ; the fronts of the pulpit
and reading desk were adorned with crimson cotton
velvet, edged with a gold coloured fringe, made by

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200 LBTTEE XVm.

Mrs. Feet ; the communion table was corered with
crimson cloth^ and cushions of the same material were
placed as in our own Churches. The prettily carved
rails in front of the communion table^ as well as the
pulpit and desk, were stained and varnished, and a
small vestry and bell made it quite complete.

Can you not imagine the joy with ^ich Mr. Peet
on the 22nd of May, 1839, opened this house of
prayer for the worship of Jehovah f It was indeed a
festival day. The missionary brethren from Cottayam
and AUeppie, with some of the members of their con-
gregations, were there ; and this '^new thing" excited
so much attention that, in the course of the day,
between 1000 and 2000 people crowded in to see it.

A little b^ore eleven, the bell was rung and the
people assembled ; the whole of the morning prayers
were read, a sermon preached, and the services of the
day were concluded by the administration of the
Lord's Supper. Among the communicants were twenty
natives of his fi>rmer congregation, and three Syrians,
who had for some time been under instruction, and
now openly joined our communion. ''The first
fruits," says Mr. Peet, -'of that great harvest I do
hope the Lord Jesus is intending to gather in here.**
These new converts had much to endure for thus fol-
lowing the convictions of their consciences ; they were
immediately excommunicated by order of the Metran;
their fellow Syrians were forbidden to give them fire

dbyGoogk

MAVELIOABE. 201

or water, or to render them any assistance, nor could
they pass through the bazaar without scorn and insult.
But not even this bitter and decided opposition could
deter others from following their example, and on the
following Sunday seven other families publicly joined
our Church.

Mr. Peet only intended this building as a tem-
porary place of worship, and lost no time in forming
plans for a larger and more substantial Church. A
legacy of £300, left by the late Mrs. H. More to the
Syrian Mission, has been appropriated to this objeet j
and though this will not be enough to complete the
building, he is beginning it at once, trusting that he
to whom belong '' the silver and the gold,** will supply
him with the necessary sum. When the new Church is
finished, thepresentbuildingis to be madeasdiool-room.

At the opening of this temporary Church, there
was present a Nair of the highest class, who had for*>
merly resided in the Fort, in the midst of Bramins,
and near the B^jah's palace. About two years before
Mr. Peet went to reside at Mavelioare, he had met
with a copy of Mr. Bailey's Malay-alim Common
Prayer Book, and had read it with attention. A
Malay-alim New Testament, which he next procured,
increased his doubts as to his own religion, and half
awakened him to the truth of Christianity. On
Mr. Feet's arrival he soon made acquaintance with
him, and by God's blessing, on the conversations he
had with him, and the means of grace he now con-

dbyGoogk

202 LBTTBR xvra.

stantly attended, he made rapid progress in Diyine
knowledge. After a few months he publicly declared
his intention of becoming a Christian, and the up-
braidings and reproaches of his relations^ when they
found he was in earnest, were so violent that he was
obliged to leare his home, and with his wife, who was
like minded with himself, he retired to a small house
in another part of the town.

The Rajah and Tahsildar hearing of this, sent for
him, and expostulated with him on the loss of
property and reputation he would sufiPer ; but none
of these things could more him, and he resisted all
their arguments and entreaties. Having, however
reason to fear personal violence, he concealed himself
for some time, till Mr. Peet, satisfied with the trial
of his sincerity, consented to baptize him ; and on
Sunday, June 9th, 1839, he and his wife were
received into the Church by the names they had
themselves chosen of Cornelius and Mary. By the
law of Travanoore, this act deprived him of all his
property, except a few paddy fields which could not
be alienated ; but Cornelius and Mary had found the
true riches; and that which had been "gain" to
them, they now counted " loss for Christ's sake."

Mary had a good natural understanding, but had
never even been taught to read ; and after her baptism,
feeling anxious to improve, she put herself under Mrs.
Peet's instruction ; and every day, as soon as her house-
hold work was done, she used to go to the Mission

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HAYELIOABE. 203

House to be taught reading and needle-work. As her
own soul became more deeply imbued with Divine
truth, her anxiety was awakened for the souls of her
relations : — she constantly talked to Mrs. Peet about
it, and determined at last to make some decided efiPort.

But the way seemed closed; she had been cast
out from her mother's house on account of her
religion, and none of her relations would either
venture into her dwelling, nor receive her into
theirs. After much consultation and prayer with
her husband and a good old man, one of the members
of the congregation, it was determined that they
should all three go to the town where her family
resided, and take lodgings near her mother's house.
At first all efforts to gain admittance were unavailing,
but the mother's heart could not long resist this proof
of her daughter's love, she allowed her to visit her,
and by degrees Cornelius and his faithful friend were
admitted also.

They had much to encounter, and their patience,
love, and prudence were deeply exercised ; but He
in whom all fulness dwells, gave them according to
their need, and so prospered their eflForts, that after
a time, the mother and two other female relations
agreed to return with them to their Christian home.

Mary by degrees persuaded them to visit Mrs.
Peet ; the youngest of them even attended her school,
and after some months, the prayer of ^ith was seen
to have prevailed ; to Mary's unspeakable joy, they

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204 LETTER xvin.

all embraced the Gospel, and were baptized on Good
Friday, 1841. Another Nair lad was baptized with
them ; and afj^r the baptism, to use Mr. Peet's own
words, "we assembled with our new friends round
the table of the Lord, and found it was indeed a
Good Friday to our souls."

I do not know the individual history of any others
in the flock at Mayelicar^, but at the Bishop of
Madras' late visitation, seventy-six persons were
confirmed there ; " some," as his Lordship expresses
it^ " in the freshness of youth, others with the silvery
locks of advancing age."

Mri3. Peet had begun a girls' school as soon after
her arrival as possible, and found many parents
anxious to have their daughters instructed. Female
education is of the utmost importance everywhere
in India ; but, if possible, more so in Travanoore than
elsewhere, for low as the general state of morals is
in other places, it is still lower here. One small
school is very little in so large a population as that
of Mavelicar^ but we know not how &,t its influence
may extend ; and Mrs. Peet thankfully acknowledges
the encouragement she has already had in some of
her young scholars, who have married, and are going
on very satisfactorily. It is remarkable that degraded
and ill-used as the women are in every other respect^
they have great influence in matters of religion, and
Mr. Peet has always found his strongest opponents
have been the wives and mothers.

dbyGoogk

MAVELICABE.

205'

Mrs. Peet has twenty-one girls, six of whom are
supported by the Church Missionary Society, the rest
by priyate contributions. The school has lately been
much indebted to some ladies in Essex for a Tery
seasonable donation, sent through the Society for
Female Education in the East. Two of the children
are maintained by the annus^l subscriptions of a
gentleman and lady in Kent, and one by the exertions
of the girls of our village Sunday-school, who partly by
little acts of self-denial, and partly from the earnings
of a small working party among themselves, under the
superintendence of two or three teachers, have for
the last three years contrived to raise a sum sufficient
for her support. Their first little pupil was the child
of a converted Bramin ; she was nine years old, and
gave Mrs. Peet great hopes of her being under the influ-
ence of Divine grace — but about a year ago a sudden
illness deprived her of the power of speech, and in a
few hours carried her off. Mrs. Peet has chosen
another in her place ; and I trust those who have
hitherto so willingly assisted in this good work, will
not grow weary in well-doing, nor lose their interest
in little " Ali."

How much may be done by the poorest person, or
yoimgest child, when the heart is in the work ! Ways
of earning or of saving money will be contrived ; and
I have often been filled with grateful wonder to find
how the pence and farthings in the Sunday School
Missionary boxes, added to the small sums received for

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206 LSTTEB XTin.

the work, have from year to year proved enough to
maintain their little scholar.

Tou must not suppose that the Missionary work in
Mavelicar^ has been carried on without difficulty and
opposition. Since Mr. Peet first went there, he has
met with the most determined resistance, both from
Syrians and heathens. The former are forbidden, on
pain of excommunication to enter his church, or to
have any intercourse with his people; while the
latter, urged on by the Bramins, and supported by
the petty Bajah of the place, are constantly annoying
and insulting him. Sometimes his work people, or
his messengers, have been seized for the service of
persons in authority, sometimes they have been
beaten because they would not work on Sundays. —
Mrs. Peet was railed at for not moving off the road
when a Bramin was approaching, and the children,
though within their own premises, have repeatedly
been driven within doors by the Bajah's servants,
lest as he passed, he should be polluted by the sight
of " defiled Chrifitians." In short, though the Syrians,
Syro-Bomans, and Roman Catholics are still sufiered
to rank among the Nairs, every attempt has been
made by the Bajah and his people to degrade Mr.
Peet in the eyes of the people, and to reduce himself
and his congregation to a level with the lowest of the
native population. In one instance, after having
been repeatedly requested to visit the Bajah's family,
he agreed to go ; but on his arrival, found that th^v

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MAVBUOABE. 207

had actually broken a large hole in the garden wall,
through which he was to be admitted, that he might
not defile the usual entrance ! A short time ago, they
endeavoured to prevent communication between the
Mission House and the town, by enclosing a piece of
the high road adjoining one of their temples, and
pretending it was holy. This gave Mr. Peet great
difficulty, he knew that if he yielded, the Mission
would in fact be at an endj and yet it was dangerous
to resist. The Nairs were excited to use violent
means to remove him — ^he was threatened to be
poisoned, and a plan was laid to stone him in the
dark. His frequent absences from home on Mission-
ary visits were the means under God, of his escaping ;
but for many months both he and his family were
kept in a constant state of alarm and anxiety. At
last his appeal to the government at Trivandrum
was attended to, and orders were sent to have
the road again opened. The people very reluctantly
submitted; but now arose the doubt whether the
goddess Bagawanty, to whom the temple belonged,
would prefer giving up the ground so lately devoted
to her, or having one of her favourite banyan trees cut
down ! Lots were drawn, and the latter was decided
on, and Mr. Peet was again allowed free access to the
town. Since that time, matters have outwardly been
much quieter among the heathen, and a brother of
the Kajah's now visits the Mission House to learn

dbyGoogk

208 LETTER xvin,

English. One or two others, also, of the family are
receiving instruction there.

Lately the Roman Catholics have taken measures
against him, but the work of God still prospers ; and
Mr. Feet, notwithstanding all his difficulties, has much
cause for joy and thankfulness. A very interesting
station in this district is " Malapali," it lies among
the hills that form the lower range of the Ghauts,
where the wild elephant, the tiger, and the cheta
roam at will through the almost impenetrable jungle,
and not unfrequently assert their right to uncon-
trolled dominion by trampling down the cultivated
fields, and sometimes by carrying off the unwary
inhabitants. The traveller who visits it has often no
other road than the tracks of the wild beasts, who
have forced their way through the thick brushwood
interwoven with beautiful climbing plants : and yet, in
this spot, apparently too savage for human habitation,
has Mr. Peet found a people prepared for the Lord.
The inhabitants, partly heathens and partly Syrians,
are wild and untutored as their native hills, but
frank, open to conviction, and free from that servility
of mind which is so common among the natives. Mr.
Peet first visited them a few years ago, and placed a
native Oatechist among them ; by his faithful labours
they became acquainted with the truth, and a congre-
gation of 200 has been gathered in, who have remained
firm to their christian principles, amidst the unceasing

dbyGoogk

MAVELIOARE. 209

persecutions from both their Syrian and heathen
neighbours.

By means of a subscription among themselves, they
began to build a substantial Church; and a small
grant from the Church Missionary Society added to ,
the proceeds of a Malay-alim grammar just published
by Mr. Peet, has enabled them to finish the Chancel
and raise the walls of the body of the Church,
Sufficiently high to allow of its being used as a place
of worship. Further pecuniary assistance is, how-
ever, needed, before they can complete the building,
and substitute a proper roof for the present one of
palmyra leaves. It was opened for Divine worship in
September last ; the Missionaries from Alleppie and
Cottayam attending with several of their congregations.

Could you* be transported to MalapMi on some
Sunday morning, you would wonder why a Church
should have been built in the midst of what appears
an almost uninhabited thicket. But as the time of
service approaches, your doubts will turn to joy, as
you see a goodly number of neatly dressed, cheerful-
looking natives, coming up in all directions from the
jungle, in which their houses, or rather little farms,
lie so hidden as to have escaped your notice. The
^hurch is under the care of a native clergyman, and
the attention of the congregation, and the earnestness
with which they join in the responses, will fill your
heart with thankfulness and hope.

dbyGoogk

210 LETTEE XVin.

Mr. Peet has, also, small but encouraging congre-
gations at Changanore, and one or two other places ;
may the Spirit of God be poured out upon them all,
and may the melancholy sound of " Sw€tmy lyappen
Cherupah,"* now heard from time to -time in the

* The Rev. J. Tucker speakiDg of a visit he paid to
Mavelicar^ in 1840, says : "Walking one evening through
the streets, lined with beautiful trees, I met a succession
of groups of men, evidently travellers, carrying on their
heads their little earthen pots in which they cooked their
food, and their little bundles of rice ; they were proceeding
along, one after another, group after ^oup ; not talking
among themselves, but all singing one and the same
melancholy song. I passed along the street, and went into
the Syrian Church, and came out again ; and still there
was the same train : hundreds of persons still passing
along, singing this melancholy chant. I suppose I walked
nearly a mile, and still met the same class of people, with
the same song, and their song was 'Sw&my lyappen
Cherupah,' 'Swfimy lyappen Cherupah.' I shall never
forget the sound.

** I inquired from Mr. Peet and the people the history ;
and they told me that every year there was a pilgrimage
performed to a temple upon the distant beautiful moun-
tains that rise up before the sight, so glorious and so
lovely to a Christian's eye. Almost on the summit of one
of these peaks is a temple to lyappen, one of the sons of
Siva. In order to get to it, the people have first to pass
through a morass, occasioned by the rains that descend
from the sides of the mountains and linger there ; the^
have to pass through the jungle in which there is continual
danger of dying by fever, or by the tigers and elephants
and snakes that abound in those jungles ; they have to

dbyGoOgk

MAYELIGABE. 211

streets of Mayelicard be exchanged for " Hallelujahs'*
to the living God !

I remain.

Yours afTectionately,

S. T.

clamber over the rocks and ascend the mountain sides to
make their offering ; and then they come back in self-
righteousness, wrapped in a deadly repose of soul, with a
kind of indifference and insensibility expressed in their
countenance. The song they sung was the same they
had sung in their way to the mountains, a month before,
and the meaning of it is, ' O, God lyappen, hear us ! O, God
lyappen, hear us !' Surely it was as in the days of Elijah,
when the people cried and cut themselTes with knives,
and for the space of many hours were continually crying
to their God, * O, Baal hear us !' Thus, every year is the
cry rising up to an imaginary Grod ; thus do they worship
devils ; thus do they use vain repetitions.

** But surely if they can take such paias,— if they
can make such sacrifices, — if they can show such a spirit
of self-denial, — if they can continue instant in prayer
under such bondage as this, — the Christian in his
glorious liberty as one of the children of God, will
be willing, not in a spirit of bondage, but in the spirit
of adoption, to be continually crying 'Abba Father 1*
and to wait upon Him to have mercy on these poor
benighted heathens. And shall he not, also, in the
same spirit of liberty and the same spirit of adoption
count it a small thing to live as one no longer his own
but bought with a price ! Shall he not count it a small
thing to give not of his superfluities, but of his comforts }
Yea, to give liberally of his substance ; to live a life of
self-denial, that he may have to give to them that need
it?"

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212

LETTER XIX.

My dear Luot,
Leaving Mavelicar^ in our covered boat, and
descending the Panda into the Backwater, we shall
again turn northward, and passing the little river that
leads to Cottayam, pursue our course to " Cochin'^
The increased number of Koman Catholic churches,*
shows how near we are approaching to the head-
quarters of Popery in this part of the country ;
and indeed, Verapoli, the residence of the Vicar
Apostolic, supported by Rome in opposition to the
Portuguese Archbishops of Goa and Cranganore, is
only three hours' row from Cochin. The jurisdiction
of the Bishop of Verapoli, extends chiefly over the
85,000 Syro-Romans of Cochin and Travancore ; and
the one hundred native priests, who minister to them
the superstitious ceremonies of Rome, were educated
in a college established here for the purpose. But
what would you say, were you to go into their library,
and there see the stamp of the Inquisition on the
New Testament, marking as a " prohibited book," the

* From one spot on the Backwater, seven Roman
Catholic churches are to be seen, and only the one
English one of Cochin.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

COCHIN. 213

charter of our spiritual freedom and the oply source
of joy and comfort ? Yet so it is !

When Cochin first drew the attention of the Rev.
M. Thompson and other friends of Missions, it was in
a sad state of destitution. The population, composed
of the mixed descendants of Portuguese, Dutch, and
natives, amounted to 20,000, of whom nearly half
were Eoman Catholics, and the remainder chiefly
heathens, with some Mohammedans. Of the Dutch
Protestants only three hundred remained ; and this
number was fast decreasing, for there had been no
chaplain there for several years, and the parents were
obliged to have their children admitted into the
Church of Rome, or remain unbaptized.

The first Missionary sent out to Cochin by the
Church Missionary Society, was the Rev. T. Dawson
in 1817, but he was in a few months obliged by ill-
ness to return to England ;* and for several years
Cochin was indebted to the Missionaries at AUeppie
and Cottayam, for all the spiritual culture it received.

The Rev. S. Ridsdale was appointed to the station,
in 1825,. and found the ground had been in great
measure prepared for him by the successive exertions
of Mr. Dawson, Mr. Williams, and the Missionary
brethren. The handsome Dutch church which had

♦ A very active chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Williams sta-
tioned there by the Bishop of Calcutta, was also obliged
to leave it after a few months' residence..

dbyGoOgk

214 LETTBR XIX.

been suffered to fall into ruins, and had been actually
used as a store-house for salt, had been repaired; the
services in it were attended by a good congregation ;
and one or two Malay-alim schools had been estab-
lished. A school had also been opened at Jew Town,
about a mile and a-half from Cochin, inhabited by
1500 of God's ancient people,* and was prospering
under the care of Mr. Michael Sargon, himself a con-
verted Jew.t

Mr. Ridsdale immediately set on foot a plan that
promised much and extensive usefulness, and obtain-
ing a grant of land from Government, invited those
persons of whom he hoped well to settle on it. He
soon collected round him a little Christian village,
consisting of converts from all creeds, but chiefly
from Popery ; a seminary was opened for boys, and
another for girls, within the compound, and every
thing was conducted with the greatest activity and
energy.

I cannot enter into details of the various means
adopted for the instruction of all around, but there
was one regulation of Mr. Kidsdale's that was attended
with a peculiar blessing. All who were living within
the Mission compound, or had any employment there,
were expected to attend the morning worship, where

* Thirteen hundred of these are black Jews.
t Mr. Sargon is still in connexion with the Church
Missionary Society, but has removed to Bombay.

dbyGoOgk

COCHIN. 215

.Mr. Eidsdale read and catechetically expounded the
Malay-alim Scriptures. Scripture readers, school
children, and villagers were the constant attendants,
to these wiere added any occasional workmen employed
on the premises, and as it was open to strangers you
might generally see among the number, heathen of
various castes, Jews, Syrians, and Roman Catholics,
while not unfrequently even Sjrro-Roman and Romish
priests would venture in. There were always 100,
and often 160 present.

While it is to be feared that to many of these occa-
sional hearers this instruction was only a " savour of
death, unto death," to others it proved indeed "a
savour of life." Among the other workmen, there
were at one time two heathen carpenters who had
come from a village fifty miles off. Like the rest,
they heard the words while there, and returned to their
distant homes apparently unmoved ; but that Holy
Spirit who bloweth where He listeth, had touched
their hearts and they could not forget the things they
had heard. For a long time they struggled against
conviction, but grace at last prevailed and made them
willing to give up all for Christ. They returned to
Cochin, put themselves under instruction, and were
in due time baptized.

Mr. Ridsdale had on his first arrival begun two
English services in the Church, and in January,
1826, added one in Malay-alim, but finding Portu-

dbyGoogk

216 LETTBE XIX.

guese was the most generally understood, he began
to study it, and in the following year was able to
preach in that language also to a congregation
of 300.

In 1829, he was joined by the Rev. S. Lima, a con-
verted Franciscan friar, from Goa ; and with the aid
of this devoted and laborious man, the work was
carried on with increased power and energy. Thie
number of public services was increased, and the
intervals of time were filled up by attending the
schools, visiting the congregations, translations, con-
versations with any who sought for instruction, and
excursions to the surrounding villages.

An evident blessing rested on the work, many
nominal Christians were led to see and feel the truth
as it is in Jesus; and many heathen, among whom
were several of high caste, were brought into the fold
of Christ.

Patience and unwearying perseverance were pre-
vailing features in the character of Mr. Eidsdale, and
never were they called into more lively exercise than
in the pains he took to instruct the lowest and most
ignorant of the women. Morning after morning, and
sometimes noon after noon, was thus spent ; and often
has he turned from an interesting argument with
some learned heathen to the labour of teaching over
and over again the same simple and important truths
to these poor creatures, whom no one else found

dbyGoogk

COCHIN. 217

capable of learning a sentence, or forming an idea.*
Living witnesses remain of the success with which
God was pleased to crown these labours of love, but
many of these objects of his compassion have entered
into rest, giving clear testimony that they had been
taught of God.

Among others was Ksilee, a slave of the lowest
caste, whose freedom had been purchased by an
European gentleman, who was about to proceed with
his family to Java, whither Kalee was to accompany
them. To fit her for service she was instructed in
needle-work and household duties, but just before the
family left Cochin she ran away, and nothing was
heard of her for many months. One Sunday, as Mr.
and Mrs. Ridsdale were returning from Church, they
saw a large black ill-looking figure, with only a
few rags for covering, sitting on the steps of the ver-
andah, and recognised the lost* Kalee. She earnestly
begged to be taken into the compound, but there was
something so forbidding in her whole appearance,
that for a moment they paused — ^till other thoughts
prevailed, and they admitted her. Mr. Eidsdale
began his usual course of instruction with her, but
it was long before any signs of improvement
appeared ; at last, the light dawned upon her soul,

* No one who has not witnessed it can have any idea of
the degradation of women of the lower classes in India^ or
of the emptiness of mind in those of higher rank.

dbyGoOgk

218 LETTEB XIX.

her heart was subdued to God, and it would have been
difficult to trace the miserable, sullen, scarcely clothed
"Kalee" in the humble, patient "Lucy," as in
her clean white dress she would sit on the floor
listening with fixed attention to every word that fell
from the lips of her much loved pastor. She became
a regular communicant, and for several years con-
tinued to grow in grace, but her health declined, and
after a lingering illness she fell asleep in that Saviour
who had become so precious to her soul.

The missionary work in Cochin received a severe
blow in August, 1835, when, in the middle of the
night Mr. Ridsdale was roused from sleep by the in-
telligence that the roof of Mr. Lima's house had
iBstllen in, and that he, his wife, and child were buried
under it. He hastened to the spot, and his heart
sickened at beholding a silent heap of ruins. With
the assistance of his *own people and some sepoys
sent by the commanding officer, he began to clear
away the rubbish, with a faint hope that his friend
might yet be found alive. But in vain — ^for two
hours they worked under a monsoon rain that made
the scene still more dismal ; and when at last they
reached the spot, Mr. and Mrs. Lima were corpses.
A delicate little child who was sleeping with them
had escaped unhurt, and was taken into Mr. Bids-
dale's house.

Again left alone in the work of the ministry, Mr.

dbyGoogk

cocHm. 219

Ridsdale did not relax^ His eflforts — ^assisted by hia
native Catecbists, and by two Syro-Eoman Oatan^rs
wbo had renounced tbe errors of tbeir cburch, and
become intelligent members of our own^ he continued
his laborious but blessed work. In the villages round
there was an increasing desire among the Syro-Eomans
for the truths of the Gospel ; and could labourers
have been sent among them^ numbers both of the
priests and people would joyfully have put themselves
under instruction. But all that could be done was
to establish a few schools* here and there, and to
place a scripture reader in some of the villages.

The time was now drawing near when in the
inscrutable Providence of God, Cochin was to be
deprived of its zealous indefatigable minister, and
Mr. and Mrs. Ridsdale were to leave for ever a spo^
endeared to them by fourteen years of trials and
mercies, joys, and sorrows, known only by those who
have given up all to preach Christ in a far distant
land. In 1839, they were obliged to return to
England for the benefit of their health ; the change
considerably restored them both, and they began to
look forward to a return to the work in which their
hearts were engaged, when in October, 1840, Mr.
Ridsdale was seized with an illness, which, in a few
days, deprived the Church of India of one of the most
devoted of her servants.

• At one of these schools, (at Tripponitura), two sons of
the present Rajah received their education.

Digitized by VjOOQIC

220 LETTER XIX.

When Mr. Eidsdale left India, the Mission was
placed under the care of the Eev. H. Harley ; but in
consequence of the appointment of a Government
Chaplain to Cochin, Mr. Harley has, at his own
request, been removed to Trichoor, a large town fifty -
miles further to the north, where his work lies
exclusively among the natives. A very promis-
ing ^opening had been made in this place some
years before by Mr. Ridsdale ; and a Catechist and
Schoolmaster had been stationed here. The district
is thickly peopled, chiefly with heathen, though there
are a good many Roman Catholics and Syrians. The
town contains about 12,000 inhabitants, and is the
seat of a famous Sanscrit College for jN"ambouri
Bramins ; which is built partly underground to
prevent those without from hearing the instruction
given to the pupils. Mr. Harley is active and dili-
gent in his work, and is assisted by one of the Syro-
Roman Catanars employed by Mr. Ridsdale. He
has laid the foundation of a Church, but is waiting
for funds to finish it.

I have told you nothing of Mrs. Ridsdale*s girls*
school, for, indeed, I know biit few of the particulars
of it. I know, however, she was much encouraged
in her work, and that many cheered her with the
hope that they had learnt to remember their Creator
in the days of their youth. Mrs. Harley still carries
it on.

Shall you be tired, dear Lucy, if, before I close

Digitized by VjjOOQIC

CURIATHA. 221

this letter, I give you one more instance of the power
of the Gospel 1 Curiatha was a young man of
KunamkuUam, a large Syrian town fifty- six miles
north of Cochin, where, for many years, Mr. Ridsdale
had estahlished a large school, of which the father
and brother of Curiatha were the masters. He,
himself had some employment at Calicut, but hap-
pening to pay a visit to his native place, he met with
Mr. Ridsdale, who gave him a copy of the Gospels.
Never were they given with less apparent hope of
being useful. Curiatha had an eager, intelligent
mind, but his habits were eccentric, and his character
immoral; he was covetous, worldly, self-seeking.
But the Holy Spirit led him to the study of this
portion of His Holy Word ; in studying it he became
another man, and his former worldHness and selfish-
ness were changed into an uncompromising confession
of the truth, and a determination to forego all for the
sake of his God and Saviour. He boldly proclaimed the
name of Jesus to all he met : heathen or Syrian, high
or low. Rajah or slave, all were alike to him. Sted-
fastly refusing all pecuniary assistance, and literally
complying with our Lord's directions to His first
disciples, * he set out to preach the Gospel in distant
places. He traversed the whole of the South of
India, even to Madras ; and as he had no other sup-
port than the bounty of those to whom he preached,
♦ Luke ix. 3 ; x. 4.

dbyGoogk

222 LETTER XIZ.

ke must often have endured weariness, and hunger,
and thirst, and painfulness ; but none can tell how
much he suffered, for Curiatha never spoke of these
things ; and it was not till after his death that Mr.
Harley discovered he had endured much persecution
for the cause of Christ. •-

After several years of wandering, he returned to
Eunamkullam, built a small dwelling in the bazaar,
and in that spot where the light of truth had first
visited his own soul, he determined to devote his life
to the making it known to his fellow-countrymen.

A few months ago he was preaching in the bazaar,
when one of his neighbours, unable to endure the pure
word of God he was proclaiming, ran home, fetched a
knife and stabbed him to the heart.

One short prayer that God would not lay this sin to
the murderer's charge, was all that Curiatha had time
to utter before his spirit left its earthly tabernacle
and joined the noble army of martyrs before the throne
of God.

Adieu, dear Lucy,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

dbyGoogk

223

LETTER XX.

My dear Luoy,

There is only one other Mission connected with
the Church Missionary Society in Southern India,
the Teloogoo — ^which though as yet in its infancy,
promises to be of great importance. MasvXipatam
is at present its only station, and to reach it we
must cross the Peninsula through Coimbatore to
Trichinopoly, and retracing our steps from thence to
Madras, pursue the remainder of our way by sea.

Not many changes have taken place in Madras,
since we left it, but one little circumstance has
occurred which you will be pleased to hear as a
gratifying instance of the influence of the Gospel.
Some months ago, Mr. Tucker preached in the
Mission Chapel on the subject of the Jews, and made
a collection among his own English and East Indian
congregation, which was to be sent to Bishop
Alexander at Jerusalem. The native Catechists of
the Tamvl congregation belonging to the same
chapel* who understand English, and I suppose
were present at the sermon, were so much interested

♦ See Part I., Letter 7.

dbyGoogk

224 LETTER XX.

in the subject, that, entirely of their own accord,
they mentioned it to their own people ; and these
native Christians, all of them quite poor, raised
among themselves above one hundred rupees (£10.)
to be added to the rest, and sent to the "poor Jews at
Jerusalem !"

You will remember my mentioning the Teloogoo
people in one of my earliest letters,* as a very inter-
esting and intelligent race of people ; and if you
will take the map of India, and making Masulipatam
the centre, draw a semi-circle of which the northern
extremity shall reach to Ganjam, and the southern
to Pulicat, you will get a tolerably correct idea of the
country they occupy. This space is full of populous
towns and villages ; and the population, amounting
to not less than 3,284,000, is exclusively Teloogoo,
besides which, a very large proportion of the -inhabi-
tants of several other large towns and countriest are
also Teloogoo people.

You are ready to ask, what attempts our church
has made to spread among these multitudes the
knowledge of the Gospel ? Alas ! till lately, she had
done nothing. Masulipatam had been ours for more
than eighty years — ^for above seventy had the Northern

♦ Part I., Letter 4.

t Cuddapah, Chittoor, Bellary, a considerable part of
the Nizam's territory, a great part of Mysore, and Nag-
pore. .

dbyGoOgk

MAStJLIPATAM. 225

Circars been entrusted to Great Britain; and yet
the London Missionary Society alone had endea-
voured to fulfil the highest purpose for which these
countries had been given to us. Our own church
took no step in this work till some of the English
gentlemen residing in the different collectorates,
determined to make an effort in behalf of the be-
nighted people round them. The late revered and
beloved Bishop Corrie was deeply interested in the
cause^ and after many disappointments and discou-
ragements, a Mission was set on foot by the Church
Missionary Society : two clergymen, the Rev. R.
Noble, and the Rev..H. Fox, left England in March,
1841, and reaching Masulipatam in the August fol-
lowing, set hard to work to study the language.

Masulipatam consists of two parts — ^the Fort^
standing in an open plain, is about two miles from
the sea, inhabited by six or seven thousand natives,
some East Indians, and a few Europeans. The Tmon
itself is about a mile further inland, and consists of a
number of Pettaha, (separate quarters,) and villages,
joined together and extending two miles in length,
and one and a half in breadth ; interspersed with
clumps of trees, little gardens, tanks, &c., presenting
altogether a very pretty appearance. Part of it is
well built, with straight open streets, and part con-
sists of houses and streets separated by narrow
winding alleys. There are about twenty pagodas

Digitized by VjOOQIC

226 LETTEB XZ.

in the town : and what will you say when I tell you
that two of these were built by an English gentleman
formerly in office there !

The whole population, including the fort, is calcu-
lated at about 90,000 ; of whom a small proportion .
are Mohammedans, a few Boman Catholics, and a
few East Indians. All the rest are Heathens.

You will believe that the Missionaries could not
find themselves thus surrounded with idolaters
without having their hearts stirred within them ; and
a year or two hence we may hope, if it so please God,
to hear of at least " the blade" and " the ear" having
sprung up in this, as in the other missions ; but as
Mr. Noble and Mr. Fox refrain from all direct
Missionary work till they are able to speak the
language fluently, I have but little to communicate
at present. They are, however, able even now to do
a good deal indirectly ; their frequent opportunities
of intercourse with the natives, gives them an
insight into their opinions and habits of thinking,
and they often find ways of scattering some good
seed here and there.

Several of the natives occasionally visit them ; and
soon after their arrival, three or four young men who
spoke English would frequently spend an hour with
Mr. Fox, and read with him the Gospel of St.
Matthew, which he explained as they proceeded.
They often conversed with him on the subject of

dbyGoogk

MA8ULIPATAM. . 227

religion, but their questions were more those of
curiosity than of any practical tendency, and like
most of the young educated heathen they appeared
to be fatalists.*

They have found the older natives less pliable than
the younger ones ; they are ignorant even of their
own religion, and when asked about it will refer to
their teachers, who, in their turn, prove as ignorant as
the rest. " We do as our forefathers did," appears to
some of them a sufficient answer to the strongest ar-
guments, though the more intelligent will take a
different course, and try to entangle their opponents
in a maze of metaphysical subtleties.

I am sorry to say that Mr. Fox's health has obliged
him to leave Masuliaptam for a time, he is now on the
Nilgherries, and I trust will soon be able to return to
the work he loves. Mr. Noble is still permitted to
labour there, and has lately been joined by Mr. P.
Gordon, who was educated in the Madras Grammar
School, and was afterwards in the Institution.t Mr.
Sharkey, one of his fellow students, is also appointed
to this station ; and it is fervently hoped they will

* Late accotints speak of one of these yonng men as
giving much ground for hope, he is intelligent and appears
sincere, and though, at present, there is no evidence of a
decided woik of the Spirit on his heart, yet his opinions are
in favour of (Christianity.

t See part I. Letter 10.

Q 2

dbyGoogk

228 I.ETTEB ZX.

both afford valuable assistance to Mr. Noble, and
prove useful and devoted Missionaries.

We have now, my dear Lucy, visited all the sta-
tions in Southern India belonging to the Church
Missionary Society, and I only wish it were possible
that the reading these letters could exdte in your
mind half the interest the preparing them has kindled
in my own. The necessity of fixing my attention on
the details of each Mission in succesidon has given
a degree of reality to them, which I hope may never-
pass away, and though I still find it impossible fully
to realize the awfiil state of so many of our fellow-
beings lying in the power of th^ prince of dark-
ness, yet I seem able better to understand how imbued
their whole thoughts and affections must be with the
pollutions of heathenism, how bound their wills and
understandings are in chains of darkness, and I am
filled with deeper wonder at the omnipotence of that
arm which has delivered so many from this fearful
thraldom. I have, too, seen fresh and abundant
proofs of the utter helplessness of mere human efforts
and hximan systems ; and that the uncompromising
preaching of " Christ crucified," is the only method
owned by God to the effectual conversion of a sinner's
heart.

But these things I cannot convey to others, and
all that I can hope for is, that these brief sketches
may lead you to a regular perusal of the published

dbyGoogk

CONCLUSION. 229

accounts,* where you will find many more particulars
of the different stations, in which I am persuaded you
will become increasingly interested, the more, tho-
roughly you are acquainted with the work and pro-
gress of each.

You will too, I am sure, thankfully bless God for
having put it into the hearts of His servants to
form this Society ; and as you read over the names
of those with whom it originated, you will rejoice to
find among them many on whom you have long
looked back with reverence and lovaf

For forty-three years it has pursued its undeviating
course, through evil report and good report — ^it has
encountered many a storm, but the good hand of our

♦ The Annual Reports of the Church Missionary So-
ciety, also the ** Church Missionary Record," the " Mis-
sionary Gleaner,** and the *' Juvenile Instructor," pub-
lished monthly.

f On April 12th, 1799, the Rev. John Venn, Rev. W.
J. Abdy, Rev. E. Cuthbert, Rev. J. Davies, Rev. H. Fos-
ter, Rev. T. Fry, Rev. W. Goode, Rev. W. A. Gnnn, Rev.
R.Middleton, Rev. John Newton, Rev. J. W. Peers, LL.D.,
Rev. R. Fostlethwaite, Rev. J. Pratt, Rev. T. Sheppard,
Rev. Thomas Scott, and Rev. C. H. Terrott, first -met on
the subject, at the Castle and Falcon in Aldersgate ; and
in a few days were joined by Sir R. Hill and S. Thornton,
Esq. The first Anniversary Sermon was preached by the
Rev. T. Scott, the second by the Rev. C. Simeon, the
third by the Rev. R. Cecil. One, and only one of all these
early friends still remains on earth, to witness even here
what God has wrought.

dbyGoOgk

230 LETTER XX.

God has still upheld it — ^many a spirit now beyond
the reach of sin and sorrow, has cause to bless God
that §ver it was established ; and of those who belong
to Christ's Church militant here below, there are
scattered through the world 6050 communicants,
73,774 attendants on public worship, besides 41,335
of the young in schools and seminaries, who, under
God, owe their knowledge of the Gospel to this
Society.

Let our endeavours on its behalf be earnest, and
our prayers unceasing, that God will continue to pour
on all who have the management at home, or the
work abroad, the abundance of His -Holy Spirit ;
" the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit
of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and
of the fear of the Lord."

And in future days of light, and life, and love, may

we be permitted, with " principalities and powers in

" heavenly places," to see somewhat of the power and

love, and " manifold wisdom of God,"* in gathering

to Himself a Church without spot or blemish, from

among the fallen guilty sons of men ; and to adore

that grace which has blessed such feeble means to so

glorious a result.

Adieu, my dear Lucy,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.'
•Eph. iii. 10.

dbyGoogk

231

GLOSSAEt.

As^.
Ayah.
Bramins.

Catamaran.

Cavady Coolie.

Choultry.

ChuDstm.

Compound.

Fakeer.

Godowns.

Goprum.

Mussalchee.
Nawaub.

Olei.

Pagoda.

Faiiars.

Paraee.
Pei-adi.
Pei-arddaiiai.

( A priest of the devil worship in
I Tinnevelly, &c.
Female attendant.

{The highest caste among the
Hindoos.
{A small raft used in the Madras
roads.
( The man who carries the luggage
I of. travellers.

i An open building (native) for the
I use of pilgrims or travellers.
( A kind of mortar or plaster, some-
} times so fine as to bear a
( beautiful polish.
/The enclosed space round a house,
i whether large or small.
A Mohammedan devotee.

{Detached buildings used as
offices, storehouses, &c.
!The high tower belonging to a
pagoda.
Torch bearer.
A Mohammedan ruler.
A long narrow strip of the pal-
myra leaf, used for writing
upon.

{A lar^e Hindoo temple for Bra-
minical worship.
{The lowest class of Hindoos, who
properly have no caste.
Fire worshipper.
Devil dancer.
Devil worship.

dbyGoOgk

232

OLOSSABY.

Pei-coil.

Peon.

Pice.

Pidl.

Rajah.

Rupee.

Sany assee Yogee, &c.
Sepoy.

Shaster.

Soodras.
Tashildar
Sw&my house.
Tom-tom.

Traveller's bungalow.

Veda.
Zemindars.

Devil temple.
J An official messenger, porter,
{ &c.

A small copper coin.

!The open kind of shed formed
by the projecting roof of a
native house, it has a bank of
earth running along the wall.
A Hindoo sovereign.

SThe chief current coin in India,
in Madras averaging about 2s.
in value.
A Hindoo devotee.

{A native soldier in our Indian
army.
A book of religious rites and

ceremonies.
The caste below the Bramins.
Native Magistrate
A small Hindoo temple.
A rude native drum.
[ A small building erected by
Grovernment for European tra-
[ vellers.
Sacred book.
Large landed proprietors.

dbyGoOgk

NOTES. 233

(A.)

THE COORG MEDAL.
This medal was found upon most of the Mohammedan
Sepoys in the service of the Bajah of Coorg, who fell in
defence of his territories, when invaded by the British
troops in 1834. The inscription was in Persian, and may
be translated as follows :—

it is wbo saccouni O,

God of all truth, who art

worthf of all praise, and

the aonioe of «I1 dignity and power,

this polluted slave* has sent this

person forth to engage in battle

against the enemy. But apart

Iron) thy aid and succour, 01

most Holy exalted One, I hate

no protector/ " Thy fanmr

then is in every way in-

cunit>ent."t

The medal was nearly of this size, it was « composition
of zinc and lead, and was worn round the neck as an
armlet or charm a^nst the weapons of the '* infidel
Feringees.**

(B.)

The following are translated extracts from a Hindos-
tanee hymn or ballad, a very popular one, sung through
South India by the Mohammedans, before and at the time
of the Kumool conspiracy : —

* The Rfljah of Ooorg. t Quotation flrom the Koran.

dbyGoogk

234 NOTBS.

" In the name of God, the most merciful.

*< After the glorifying of Grod, and the praise of the

gracious prophet,
*' The pen indites this essay upon warring against infidels.
'^ To battle for the faith, and not for the lust of dominion,
" Is called by the people of Islam in their law — Jdhad.
^' Of the excellence ascribed to this, both in the Koran

and in the traditions of the prophet,
'* We now a brief relation give ; and do you take heed.
'* To war against the infidels, O, Mussulmans, is upon you

a divine command,
*' And if you really hold the faith make preparations for it.
'< Onwhosoever's feet has fallen the dust of war of Juhad
^ It is a card to liberate him from hell.
Let a Moslem fight but for a moment in the army of

truth,
« And the garden of the highest paradise becomes meet

for him.
<« Hear thou, O brother, the sayings of the prophet,
^ The garden of paradise lies beneath the shadow of the

sword."
After a great deal more in the same exciting strain, and
many arguments against the love of ease and self-
indulgence, worthy of a better cause, the hymn thus
concludes.

" O Lord of heaven and earth ! protector of thy servants !
" Now speedily grant the Moslem the favour of a Juhad !
" Grant them thine own strength ; render the Moslems

powerful,
<* Fulfil to them the promise of victory.
« Thus Oh, king I let Hind be filled with Islam,
*« Tin no other sound be heard but Allah I Allah I"

THE END.

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